The Last Story-Anthology
by Mystical Authoress
Summary: Takes place post-game. Basically, a collection of oneshots that will most likely turn into a multi-chapter fic of the sorts. (I know the summary sucks, but the fic is a lot better than this. I hope...)
1. Shy

**Author note: I do not own 'The Last Story.' **

**So...This is basically going to be a collection of oneshots around the main characters (and secondary characters like Therius and Horace), taking place post-game. Which means Dagran is dead, the Gurak and the people of Lazulis are working together, and the mark of the Outsider is gone (I think. That's the impression I got from looking at the end of the game. Does anyone know if Zael keeps his Gathering ability after the mark of the Outsider is gone?) **

**Except...One thing. I'm thinking of turning this into a multi-chapter story, too, so this collection of oneshots might turn into a sort-of multi-chapter story later on. We'll see as this progresses, I suppose...And there will be OCs, by the way. None all of them will show up in the beginning (except for one right in this first chapter), and will appear later on. Hopefully none of them will be complete Mary Sues/Gary Stus or the like, and I hope you don't mind them, either.**

**Warnings: Violence, OCs, Zaelista, SyrennexLowell, and probably other various pairings later on. Also contains use of alcohol (because of Syrenne), possible swearing, etc. **

**Constructive Criticism and/or reviews would be great, and I hope you guys enjoy! Thanks!**

* * *

_1. Shy_

Summary: Zael, bored of being in the castle for so long, decides to go sailing for a day, accompanied by his friends. After their boat nearly sinks, though, they are forced to land on a nearby island and discover a new friend who is...Quite shy. Especially around the girls.

Characters: Zael, Callista (mentioned), Dagran (mentioned), Syrenne, Lowell, Mirania, Yurick and an OC

Pairings: Mentioned Zaelista

* * *

Honestly, Zael knew that he had work to do in the castle, with the Gurak and the people of Lazulis rebuilding the castle and all, but he really couldn't focus at the moment. He knew Callista probably wouldn't be happy about this, and that she did need his support in the duties of the island, but he really, really couldn't focus.

So, he left Callista a message, stating that he would be back by sometime in the late afternoon, grabbed his friends, and went out sailing for the day. The boat was not as massive as the Gurak ship that he, Dagran, and Callista stowed upon during the whole incident with Zangurak and all, but big enough to fit all five of them. The day so far was nice, with beautiful sunny weather, but Zael regretted not bringing Callista along. She would have enjoyed this, and she probably needed a break from all the hectic work, too.

Unfortunately, halfway through the trip, just as they got halfway close to getting back to Lazulis, that was when Syrenne accidentally drove the ship into a few pointy rocks. They were forced to get to the nearest island as soon as possible, and Lowell almost used up all his energy applying ice to the holes put in the ship on the way there.

Fixing the ship wouldn't be too much of a problem, but then Mirania had to insist on exploring the island, especially with the fact that there was smoke rising from somewhere on the island. Zael agreed to investigate, and after fixing the ship and praying that it wouldn't float out to sea without them, they started to explore.

Things started off well. The beautiful, exotic plant life was something Mirania was interested in, and Syrenne and Lowell got themselves a few decent fights with some other creatures. Yurick and Zael were alright with the exploration, and of course helped out the others whenever they encountered any creatures that tried to attack them.

Things derailed as soon as the Mystic Spider appeared, though.

No one was eaten yet, but Lowell and Syrenne both got very close to getting consumed, had Zael not used Gale to break the webbing that restrained them. It was tough fighting the beast, and Zael really did not want anyone to get hurt, considering the last time he, Mirania, Yurick and Dagran had encountered one. Poor Yurick almost got completely traumatized by the incident due to him nearly getting eaten at least three times during that battle.

Before Zael could slash at the Mystic Spider from behind, though, the sound of some sort of horn being blown. Everyone, even the Mystic Spider itself, stopped fighting and turned to where the source of the noise came from.

A large boulder rolled downwards from the cliff above, smashing into the Mystic Spider and killing it instantly. Zael rolled out of the way before he could get hit, and then he looked up, wondering who had pushed the boulder from high on the cliff. He saw a flash of long, ash-blond hair before it disappeared.

"Who was that?" Lowell asked, still looking up at the cliff.

"Whoever it was, he or she might have obviously heard us fighting the Mystic Spider and felt the need to help us." Zael responded, before rushing over the cliff and starting to climb it. "Maybe they're the one who made that fire we saw from the ship earlier!"

"Zael?" Zael looked down after climbing halfway down the cliff to see Yurick, looking up with his arms crossed. "There is a path around here to get to the other side of that cliff. Just thought I'd let you know."

Zael let out a sigh as Yurick and the others walked around the cliff, realizing that had he taken that route he probably would have made it to the other side faster...

It didn't take too long for Zael to get to the others side and rejoin his friends, however, and he was grateful for that. Unfortunately, they didn't have much of an idea about where the mysterious figure could have went. That was until Mirania noticed the smell of roasting meat, and ran off in one direction. Yurick and Zael followed suite, with Syrenne and Lowell exchanging slightly weirded-out glances before following them.

No one really had any idea of how Mirania had such a good sense of smell, but Lowell had a few theories with her being good with cooking, maybe, or because she was raised by that Forest Guardian to recognize different plants by smell or something. No one really knew, and they doubted that they would ever find out how.

Everyone hid behind various bushes and trees, doing their best to glance at the figure. Zael recognized the long, ash-blond hair of the figure that crushed that Mystic Spider earlier, who was now sitting by a fire and turning what looked like a rabbit impaled on a stick in the fire. Mirania probably felt bad for the poor rabbit, but he supposed that the figure probably didn't have much choice of figuring out what else one could eat on this island, after all.

"How long do you think this guy has been around on this island, anyway?" Syrenne whispered to Lowell, who was high up in a tree along with her.

"Who knows?" Lowell whispered back, shrugging a bit.

"Be quiet, will you!?" Yurick snapped at the two as softly as he could as he glanced at the figure from behind a bush. "You're going to cause attention-"

That was when Zael stepped on a small branch, breaking it under his feet. Everyone else cringed as the figure turned, spotting Zael, and he was about to take out a dagger when-

"Don't!" Zael shouted, holding his hands out in front of him. "Look, we don't want to hurt you! We just-We were wondering who it was that...Saved us from that Mystic Spider just now. We're sorry for intruding on your meal."

The figure, still pointing the dagger at Zael but lowering it slightly. His facial expression turned to one of confusion and he tilted his head to the side a little. Zael looked at him carefully. The long, ash-blond hair almost went down to his waist, and he wore nothing save for some tattered animal skins that covered him from the waist down to the ankles. He looked as if he'd been living at the island for quite some time, and there were bits of dirt that caked some of his skin, particularly his toes.

"You did cause that boulder to crush the spider just now...Right?" Zael asked, taking a step forwards cautiously, still keeping his hands raised. "My friends and I, we were exploring the island because we saw the smoke from the fire from our ship. We were wondering if there was anyone that might have been living on this island, and well, you get the rest. Thank you for helping us."

The figure nodded, sheathing the blade. Zael motioned for the rest of his friends to come out from their hiding places, which was no trouble for all except for Lowell, who fell out of the tree and almost landed on Mirania in the process. It was then that the figure appeared to blush, as if embarrassed averted his glance from most of the group until after Zael introduced himself and the others.

"So, what's your name?" Syrenne asked, crossing her arms.

The ash-blond paused, hesitating, before stammering his response. "U-um..."

"What? No, seriously, what's your name?" Syrenne asked, not understanding what he meant.

"Um."

"Oi, seriously, tell me your name!" The alcoholic snapped, and the animal-skin-wearing figure cringed a bit.

"Syrenne." Yurick started, turning towards her. "I think he's trying to say that his name_ is_ Um."

"...Oh."

* * *

No one had any idea of how long Um had lived on that island, and neither did he, surprisingly. All they could figure out, from what Um told them through stammered statements was that he'd ended up on this island due to some sort of accident, a shipwreck most likely, and had been fending for himself on the island since then. Now, they were taking him back to Lazulis with them, and Zael knew he had a lot to explain to Callista as soon as they got back to Lazulis Castle. They even gave Um some spare clothing that Lowell had brought with him on the trip in case his own clothing got wrecked in battle or something. The shirt was a little big for Um's skinny frame, but the pants fit well, thankfully.

They learned quickly that he was awfully shy, especially around the girls, and was now scared of Syrenne to the point that even her presence in the same room as him would cause him to rush straight towards Yurick, to use him as a shield from the alcoholic. Zael couldn't help but understand that it would make sense for Um to be scared of Syrenne; after all, Syrenne could be a bit scary if she got into a rage when drunk or whenever when she was just plain annoyed with something, like the lack of alcohol to drink. Yurick wasn't too delighted with the fact that Um kept following him around, but there wasn't much that anyone else could do to help him with that.

"What are we going to do about him? I mean, who knows how long he's been living on that island?" Mirania asked Zael as they neared the port of Lazulis. "I suppose Yurick, Syrenne, Lowell and I could help take care of him and such, but I'm not sure what he's able to do..."

"Well, I can certainly tell you that he can definitely read and write, as well as draw." Yurick interrupted, and the two turned to face him. "He's already read all of the books I brought with me on the ship, and he's used up a lot of paper just drawing me and everyone else's portraits on the ship. And he's still hiding from Syrenne, by the way."

"Well, reading and writing is a start..." Zael trailed off awkwardly. He let out a sigh. "I just hope Callista will be okay with him staying in Lazulis for now..."

Yes, Zael definitely did have much to tell his beloved Countess as soon as he returned to Lazulis Castle. He just hoped that she would take the news well...

* * *

**Author note: I own Um, as he is one of my OCs. Anyway, I hope you guys liked that, and please review! Thanks!**


	2. Work

_2. Work_

Summary: Um, completely grateful for Zael and his friends taking him to Lazulis with them, does not want himself to be a burden on the others. So, he struggles to find work somewhere, with the help of Lowell, Mirania and Yurick, and become a useful resident of Lazulis, while trying to avoid making any mistakes.

Characters: Yurick, Mirania, Lowell, Um, Horace, Syrenne (mentioned), Zael (mentioned), Callista (mentioned)

Pairings: None

* * *

If there was one thing Um already knew he had to do without anyone telling him to do so, it was this.

He needed to find work to become a useful resident of Lazulis, like all the other working-class people around him. That way, he can fit in with the other people, get on their good side, and also be able to support himself financially. Of course, considering that he was very new to the place, he had to figure out if there was any skill in particular that he was good with. Lowell, Mirania and Yurick offered to help him with the task, and he was grateful for that. Zael would help, too, but Callista wasn't too happy with him abandoning his duties the previous day and he was stuck with loads of paperwork as a result at the castle.

"So...What sort of occupation would suit him?" The four sat at a table in Ariela's tavern, discussing options of work that Um could do.

"Well, let's start with the basics." Yurick started, crossing his arms. "He's able to read and write, as well as draw. He's also a good hunter, judging from how he was able to fend for himself on the island for so long. Is there anything else that might help?"

"Hey, speaking of the 'good hunter' part, maybe he could be a regular at the Arena and earn money that way!" Lowell spoke up, grinning, before turning to Um. "Hey, do you know if you're good with any fighting?"

Um paused, before whispering into Mirania's ear. The black-haired healer paused, processing the information before telling Yurick and Lowell.

"He says that he has a lot of experience, considering that he has fought off a couple Mystic Spiders and other creatures on the island for years. However, he usually makes traps to destroy them, not fight them head-on unless necessary. And taking into consideration that the Arena involves a lot of direct fighting, I don't think that would be a good option, despite the reward."

Everyone else paused, before Lowell spoke up again. "Hey, maybe we can teach him magic and have him as a mage for hire or something-"

"Lowell, that takes _years_ of training to master magic, whether it be fire, ice, healing or holy magic. We need to find Um a job very soon if he's going to support himself financially." Yurick cut him off. "And, I'm not sure if magic is something Um would be great with...He's honed his abilities mostly for survival purposes on the island, and I don't think magic is in his repertoire of abilities, is it?" He asked, turning to Um, who shook his head.

"Well, let's try it this way." Mirania spoke up. "All of us can make a list of ideas of jobs for Um, taking his abilities into consideration, and then we can try them out one by one to see which one fits him best. I think that's the only thing we can do right now." Everyone else exchanged glances, before agreeing to the plan and grabbing some paper and pencils.

* * *

The first job that ended up being suggested was maintaining the library in Lazulis Castle, which was currently short on workers in terms of cleaning. It seemed pretty easy; just dust the place whenever it needed dusting, wipe down the desks and chairs, and sort the books into alphabetical order. Callista was more than happy to let Um take the job at first, considering that he was pretty organized. Yurick had even noted that Um would make sure the books Yurick had were in alphabetical order by author and date of publication.

Unfortunately, there was one small detail everyone wasn't exactly aware of. Um was very, ahem,_ clumsy_ with carrying things. This resulted in him knocking over several bookshelves in the library while trying to put away a few books and getting himself fired right after he cleaned up the mess. Yurick and Mirania both doubted Callista would let Um try the job again, ever.

* * *

The next thing that was suggested was the idea of being a regular fighter at the Arena and earning quick cash that way. It worked with the first few rounds. Um was a decent fighter, bare-handed or with a dagger in hand, and he knew what to do with the bombs and the lanterns of fire strewn on the ground, waiting to be rolled towards enemies.

Unfortunately, he got terribly injured and lost the fifth round. Mirania put an end to that, much to Lowell's dismay.

* * *

Another suggestion was that he could serve food at Ariela's tavern. This worked for a while, at least for a few days. Um was a bit uncomfortable around the other people there, but he tried his best not to let it show. Things derailed, though, when some of the women tried to flirt with him.

Of course, no one seemed too interested in Um at first; but after quick session, prior to going to pursue work, of cleaning him up, combing and tying back that long, ash-blond hair and getting him some proper clothing to wear, quite a few women seemed to like his looks. Um panicked, nearly spilled a few drinks on Syrenne in the process, and hid in Lowell's room for the rest of his shift. By the time he went out again, he was fired immediately.

* * *

"There's got to be _something _that suits him!" Lowell groaned, face-palming himself after going through several more items on the list. The four were currently walking around the city, exhausted from their week-long search for work.

"We have tried quite a few options, and something always seems to go wrong...No offense to Um, of course, but everything we've tried so far doesn't fit with his abilities exactly." Yurick spoke up. Um and Mirania both let out a sigh, exchanging similar glances with each other.

"Well, I suppose we can try to look some more tomorrow." Mirania responded. "It's getting late, and we should get some rest soon."

"True." Lowell paused, glancing at a nearby shop. "Hey, can we stop at Horace's shop for a bit? I need to upgrade my sword." The others shrugged, before entering the shop.

As Lowell was getting his sword upgraded with some Gnome Copper he brought with him, Mirania and Yurick continued to discuss with each other about what they were going to do with Um's situation. Um, on the other hand, was observing the space around him quietly, before seeing a nearby bookshelf. He instinctively walked over, grabbed a book, and started to read it. He flipped through the pages, before putting the book away and walking over to Horace, tapping his shoulder. Horace jumped slightly, turning to see Um, who paused before stammering out his request.

"M-may I...May I try? Please?" He asked quietly.

"Are you sure?" Horace asked, a bit hesitant.

"Hey, it's okay." Lowell responded, shrugging a bit. "I've got other spare blades if that one gets wrecked, anyway."

"Alright..." Horace handed Um the blade and the Gnome Copper. Um paused, holding the objects, before getting to work. As the others watched, in time the blade was upgraded perfectly. "That's amazing. I haven't seen such skill like that in years." The weapon-upgrader remarked as he examined the blade. He turned to Um. "Tell me, what's your name?"

"Um." The ash-blond responded quietly, and before Horace could get confused, Yurick quickly spoke up for him.

"Um is his actual name, before you get confused. Just thought I would clear that."

"I see..." Horace paused, before speaking. "Um, perhaps you would like to work under me as an apprentice? Your skill is something that can certainly be useful here at the shop."

Um paused, glancing at Lowell, who gave him a thumbs-up, before turning back towards Horace and nodding excitedly, a grin spreading across his face. The other three smiled at each other, knowing that their friend definitely found a line of work that would fit for him.


	3. Reunion

_3. Reunion_

Summary: Therius, on the journey towards Lazulis to visit Zael and Callista, gets a bit stuck on the way, and a meeting during the time reunites him with a fellow noble from the past.

Characters: Therius, three OCs, Zael (mentioned), Callista (mentioned), Asthar (mentioned), Dagran (mentioned)

Pairings: None (unless you count very vague, mentioned OCxOC)

* * *

If there was something troubling Therius right now, it was this.

Obviously, he and the soldiers he was bringing to become knights of Lazulis-_those that proved themselves to be true knights, to be exact-_were stuck. There were no evil creatures-plants, animals, Reptids-that were blocking their way, but rather it was something else.

It was a heap of fallen trees from the previous night's storm that blocked their path.

Usually, this wouldn't be too difficult to get past, but Therius only had about five to six other knights accompanying him. Not to mention that burning the trees would not be such a great idea, considering that they were in a forest and would end up causing a larger fire than imagined if they did so. Cutting the trees apart didn't seem to work, either, considering that the wood here was very strong against a regular sword. Therius calculated that it would take a long while to cut the trees apart, even if everyone pitched in to help.

Going off the path, though, wouldn't be a good idea either. One could get lost in these woods, and Therius knew he had to hurry if he and the knights were going to get to Lazulis on time for the annual festival that took place between Lazulis and the kingdom of-

A gentle laugh, a feminine one, broke his train of thought, and he turned to see a young woman advance towards him. Behind her were a few ornate, but simple-looking caravans pulled along the path by healthy black horses. "Goodness, Sir Therius. Creatures of evil do not stand a chance against your skill, but yet a bunch of trees stump you. I find it to be quite amusing." The lady remarked, pulling back the hood of her dark purple cloak to reveal a butterfly-shaped mask of violet obscuring her face, except for her dark green eyes and ghostly-pale lips. It was a face Therius knew too well, and recognized her immediately.

"Lady Tahirah Zakiyaa of the Melodia kingdom, I'm afraid I cannot find this situation to be as amusing as you see it." Therius answered, bowing respectively to the noblewoman. The knights with him followed suite, and Tahirah just simply smiled at Therius, walking a bit closer to him until they were face-to-face. "However, I am glad to see you after so long."

"It's only been a year, Therius, yet it feels like much longer than that." Tahirah responded as she pushed a lock of long, black hair behind her ear. Therius felt that the simple plum-coloured tunic and dark trousers fit her style, to be the cool and collected one that she was. She paused, before speaking. "Where is General Asthar? He is not with you...?"

"...He has gone. Killed..." Therius responded, gritting his teeth slightly as he remember the General's funeral. And then with the fact that Dagran-

No. He shouldn't mention that small, but important, detail to her. Not now, anyway.

"During the incident with the Gurak at Lazulis, I assume?" She asked. Therius could only nod once in response. "I'm sorry for your loss. But, with you taking up the task to train those aspiring to be knights to become true knights as you had envisioned for so long...Asthar would be proud of you."

"Thank you. Although it is not an easy task, unfortunately. There are many who I must still deem unworthy, hence the small number with me." The white-haired knight responded, glancing at the knights with him. "Lady Callista and Lord Zael had invited me to come stay at Lazulis for a while, and I thought I would do a service for them and bring those I have deemed worthy to be knights with me, so that they would help rebuild Lazulis' army. So many knights died in the incident, and despite the steady recovery Lazulis is still lacking in soldiers."

"It's a fine thing for you to do for them. They would be grateful, no matter how late you are in your arrival, I'm sure." Tahirah paused, glancing behind her before snapping her fingers. Two cloaked figures leapt from behind the caravans and rushed to her side. "You remember my bodyguards and advisors, Nuriel and Arlynne, Therius?"

"Of course I do. It's wonderful to see you both."

"Sir Therius, it is a pleasure to see you once again." Nuriel spoke as he and Arlynne bowed before pushing back the hood of their cloaks. Like Tahirah, the two wore masks, but Nuriel's mask was shaped like the roaring flames of a fire whilst Arlynne's was like the smooth waves of water one finds at the ocean shore.

Nuriel wore a red cloak, overtop a red shirt with a black blazer and trousers, with matching boots and gloves. His dark brown hair was straight, and tied back in a short ponytail. His reddish-amber eyes glittered in the light of the sun as he gazed about his surroundings. Arlynne, however, wore a light blue cloak, covering a dress of pearly white marbled with a blue similar to the cloak that she wore. She wore simple white slippers and her long, pale blond hair trailed down to her waist, tied back in a ponytail like Nuriel's hair. Her light blue eyes looked at Therius gently, a smile forming at the edges of her pale lips.

Therius always found it interesting that Nuriel and Arlynne always seemed to contrast in not just clothing choices, but in personalities-Nuriel usually being the fiery, upbeat one while Arlynne was the more subdued, grounded one. Some usually assumed that they wouldn't get along, but Therius begged to differ with that, as one could say opposites attract. The relationship between Arlynne and Nuriel seemed to border just between a mere friendship and a simple romantic affection for each other, after all.

"Now that the introductions are done and over with, perhaps we should get back to the issue of the trees?" Tahirah asked, glancing at said fallen trees. "If you and your knights were to merely cut through them with your swords, they would grow sad and dull by the time the task is done. If my advisors and I, as well as those driving the caravans, used whatever we had, surely we would end up setting the forest on fire at the worst, or putting it into the season of winter far too quickly. So, if we were to use a combination, provided that the magic was contained and that you and your soldiers kept sharpening your swords, I believe we should be able to get past those trees soon."

"Agreed." Therius paused, before speaking. "Perhaps, then, we should start...?"

"Not so fast. I'd like to make a deal."

Therius knew that something like that would have come up in the conversation eventually. Tahirah was always one for making a fair trade-ever since she was a child, when she requested Therius to have a duel with her. Of course, that first time, Therius had the advantage of experience, but it didn't take much time afterwards for her to catch up with him.

"May I guess this deal to be that I allow you to duel me as soon as we arrive in Lazulis, Lady Tahirah?" Therius asked, crossing his arms and trying to make a more serious expression.

Tahirah let out a chuckle, a bemused expression overtaking her face. "Of course, Sir Therius. What else would I have to offer for something like this?" She responded, smiling a bit.

"Alright, then." Therius responded, unable to not smile back. "It's a deal."

* * *

**Author note: Double update today, because I was so happy to see two reviews and two favourites already, as well as having the inspiration to write some more! Thanks! :)**


	4. Tradition

_4. Tradition_

Summary: Callista explains to Zael the history and importance of the festival between Melodia and Lazulis, just as the Countess of Melodia arrives, with Sir Therius accompanying her.

Characters: Zael, Callista, Therius, Tahirah, Arlynne, Nuriel

Pairings: implied Zaelista, implied ArlynnexNuriel

* * *

"Callista? What is the importance of this festival, anyway?" Zael asked as he and Callista walked through the streets of Lazulis City. Both the Count and Countess needed a break from the work, and they figured a quick walk would do them good, as well as some fresh air.

"Oh, I haven't explained it to you?" Callista paused, pushing a lock of hair from behind her ear before continuing. "Well, I suppose we've been so busy that I haven't talked to you about it yet. You see, many years ago, Melodia and Lazulis used to be at war with each other, mostly for territorial reasons. My father and Melodia's queen at the time signed a peace treaty and split the land as equally as they could between the two kingdoms, and we haven't been warring with them since. Now, to remember the peace treaty made between the kingdoms, this festival occurs every year, in which the ruler of Melodia or the ruler of Lazulis visits the other kingdom and stays for a week of celebration. This year, Countess Tahirah Zakiyaa of Melodia is visiting Lazulis, but next year, you and I will be visiting Melodia."

"Well, I'm sure it'll be lovely when we go see Melodia, mi'lady." Zael responded, and Callista couldn't help but smile a bit. "And I'm also excited to finally meet Countess Tahirah face-to-face as well."

Before Callista could respond, the two heard voices coming from the market.

"Those stupid guards again...Thinking that they can take whatever they want because they have some status!"

"Hey, who's that masked man!? He's-"

"He punched him!"

Both Callista and Zael exchanged glances, before rushing to the location where the scene took place.

As soon as they arrived, they saw a Lazulis guard, having just been punched in the face and sent tumbling to the ground. Two masked people, a man and a woman, stood in front of him.

"I thought you were going to punch _lightly, _Nuriel! That's why I stopped restraining you just now!" The masked woman groaned, shaking her head. "What will Lord Zael and Lady Callista think when they hear of this? And Lady Tahirah will be disappointed of our behaviour, too!"

"What? I did punch lighter than usual, Arlynne. Had I given the man a complete punch like usual, he would be out like a light, and things would get worse." The masked man protested. "Besides, he deserved it for acting like such an imbecile when he should be respectful to others, whether he has such status or not, right? I'm sure Lady Callista and Lord Zael would be alright as soon as they hear our explanation."

"I believe the explanation would be fine, if it is true." Zael spoke up, and everyone turned to face him and Callista. "Is it true that our guard here was stealing from the people, and that this man here was merely trying to defend the people's rights?" There were murmurs of 'yes' among the crowd, and Zael gave an affirmative nod. "That settles it, then." He turned to the guard, who just got up. "Pay the man and go. And next time I see you attempt such a thing, you will have a greater chance of being removed from your position. Understood?" The Lazulis guard nodded, paying the merchant quickly before rushing off.

Callista approached the masked duo. "And you two...As much as you were trying to defend the people's rights, please, try not to implement violence when unnecessary." She told them. The masked man just simply let out a sigh and nodded, while the woman gave the man a quick nudge on the arm with an elbow.

"Ow! What was that for!?" Nuriel asked Arlynne, who just smirked.

"I _told_ you that implementing violence would get us at least a talking-to, Nuriel." Arlynne responded, before turning towards Callista. "I apologize for Nuriel's behaviour. He can be a bit, well, fiery at times. My name is Arlynne, and I am an Advisor and personal bodyguard of Lady Tahirah Zakiyaa. It is an honour to see you again, Lady Callista, and an honour to finally grace your presence, Lord Zael." She spoke, curtseying politely as Nuriel bowed slightly.

"Ah, Nuriel, Arlynne, there you two are!" The four turned to see a black-haired woman, wearing a mask of violet, approach them, accompanied by Therius. "Please, don't go rushing off wherever you want so suddenly, unless I've given you both permission to roam the city."

"My apologies, my lady." Nuriel responded quietly, looking downwards as he bowed to her while Arlynne gave a quick nod. "Sir Therius, Lady Tahirah, may I introduce Lord Zael and Lady Callista Arganan?"

"Of course." Tahirah responded, turning to Zael. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Lord Zael."

"The same goes for me, Lady Tahirah." Zael responded, before turning to Therius. "Therius, it's good to see you back."

"Thank you." Therius responded, before gesturing to the knights with him. "I have brought these knights here to be of service to you, as they have proven themselves to be true knights. I do hope that they will be of use to you."

"Thank you, Therius." Zael responded, nodding once. "We are still suffering shortages of people in terms of the military, and the knights you brought with you will be of good service, I'm sure."

"Also, we have a duel we must fight. Lady Tahirah has requested to join this time, however, and it was due to an agreement she and I made during the way here, once she helped me get past some...Trees..." The white-haired soldier trailed off lamely.

"Trees?" Zael asked, confused.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you about it later."

"Oh, alright..." Zael paused, before continuing. "Well, I guess I wouldn't mind her joining in. The more the merrier, people say."

"Thank you." Tahirah spoke up, smiling. "Don't worry. I guarantee that I won't be a disappointing in the sparring session. I'm a lot tougher than most people think."

Zael smiled back. "I don't think Therius or I will be dissapointed at all."


	5. Normal Day

_5. Normal Day_

Summary: It seems to be a regular, normal day in Um's life, but in the process of getting involved in a fight, he makes a new friend.

Characters: Um, Yurick, Ariela (mentioned), Mirania, Horace (mentioned), Meredith (mentioned), D

Pairings: None

* * *

Um got used to his new life at Lazulis quite quickly.

He would get up every early morning, get dressed and take care of his hair and all (because he figured he should always have a good outer appearance to look somewhat professional), before running down the stairs, saying a quick 'Good morning!' to Ariela, and then rushing over to Horace's shop to start his work as an apprentice.

He didn't just learn how to put two and two together to upgrade or create certain blades, however, he also ran errands, going out in the market or Artisan's way to get what was needed. Horace was impressed by how fast Um was picking up all the skills needed for upgrading and creating weapons, and if Um was lucky, he got a bonus-which consisted of Horace's wife, Meredith, cooking him a tasty meal. Not that he hated the food at Ariela's tavern or in the Market, but Meredith's cooking was definitely the most delicious thing Um had tried in his life, considering that he'd been living on an island for who-knows-how-many years.

Whenever he had spare time, he would often hang out with Yurick and Mirania, holding conversations with them and walking with them all around the bustling city of Lazulis. Today, however, he had decided to go out on his own, to Artisan's Way to just simply look around and perhaps buy something he might be interested in.

As soon as he arrived, however, he noticed that something was amiss. A crowd had gathered, and it wasn't because they were chattering with excitement over the festival between Melodia and Lazulis. As he walked closer, he realized that there was a fight. Two citizens of Lazulis-to be more exact, soldiers, were fist-fighting, calling each other terrible names and like. Um didn't like this, and neither did the rest of the crowd. No one, however, was brave enough to try to stop them. Um figured that he should try to stop it.

What he did to halt them was to grab the two guards' fists that were aimed at each other. Both guards looked at Um, who let go and took a step back.

"Don't do that. It's not nice to...To other people and to both of you. Nor is it...Is it good for Lord Zael and Lady Callista to hear of." Um managed to say. Unfortunately, he had trouble speaking the language that all humans spoke to each other in, as he was much more fluent in the languages of other creatures such as the Gurak, to a lot of people's surprise and slight disgust. This meant that he couldn't speak the greatest, but he could still speak. He just wouldn't be the greatest speaker ever in the human language.

"Are you talking to us, fool?" One of the guards hissed. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

Um swallowed nervously, unsure if stepping in now to stop them was actually a good idea. Before he could voice his opinion on the matter, however, someone else stepped by him and spoke up.

"Hey, why don't you leave him alone? He was trying to do the right thing. And besides, it's disgraceful how you two are hissing at each other like cats in the heat. What would Lord Zael and Lady Callista think if they heard of it? You're bringing shame to Lazulis with your behaviour."

Um turned to the person who spoke, and it was a cloak-wearing man, probably about Lowell's age or maybe slightly younger. He couldn't see the face from underneath the cloak, but Um did notice that he wore a simple white shirt with dark pants and boots, with a brown leather vest on top of the shirt.

"Who do you think you are, speaking to us like that?" The other guard snapped, walking towards him. "I'll-"

He was cut off by a punch to the face. Um felt his arm being grabbed by the cloaked man, who pulled him away from the guards. "Run!"

The two ran through the crowd, determined to get away from the enraged guards. Thankfully, the chase didn't take too long, and the guards lost them soon enough after they hid behind a statue.

The cloaked man peered from behind the statue, looking for any guards, and then nodded towards Um. "It's safe now. We lost them." He told him as the two walked out from behind the statue.

"Thank you...Very much." Um responded quietly, nodding once. "Thank you for...Helping me against those guards."

"No problem." The other responded, before removing his hood. His dark eyes looked at Um quietly. "I don't think I've seen you around here before. What's your name?"

"Um. I just started living here in Lazulis about...A few weeks ago." The ash-blond replied quietly. "You?"

"...D. Just call me D." The other responded, nodding once. "Um is an interesting name..." He paused, before continuing. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

* * *

Um was grinning ear-to-ear as he walked into the tavern, and Mirania and Yurick noticed this immediately. The two walked over to Um quickly, wondering what was up with him.

"What's with the huge smile? Did you get to eat one of Meredith's tasty meals again?" The black-haired healer asked.

Um shook his head. "Even better. I-I met a new friend. He helped me get away from stupid guards. He even hung out with me for a bit and we both won a round in the Arena!" He explained, still grinning

"I see..." Yurick paused for a moment. "Who is this friend, exactly? Do you know his name?"

Um hesitated, before responding. "He told me to just call him D. Like the letter D." Both Yurick and Mirania exchanged similar glances. Both were now further intrigued by this D, and they knew that they had to meet him. Something about this D that Um seemed to be happy about seemed to be somewhat...Familiar. They just weren't sure what exactly.

* * *

**Author note: If anyone has already figured out who 'D' actually is, please don't spoil it in the reviews. Thanks!**


	6. Trio

_6. Trio_

Summary: Tahirah, Zael, and Therius have their three-way sparring session while Arlynne, Nuriel, and Callista watch from sidelines, and their conversation pours out a little bit of information about Tahirah and Therius' childhood in the midst of it all. Um, meanwhile, has a message that needs to be taken to Zael, and he'll do it any way he can-resulting in letting himself get chased by several knights in the process.

Characters: Tahirah, Zael, Therius, Arlynne, Nuriel, Callista, Um, General Asthar (mentioned), 'D'

Pairings: implied ArlynnexNuriel, kind-of implied TheriusxTahirah

* * *

Zael stood, eyeing Tahirah and Therius quietly. Zael was glad that he could duel with Therius again, and he also anticipated what Tahirah would bring to the battle. Therius had mentioned to Zael earlier that Tahirah wasn't kidding about the fact that she was stronger than she seemed. The white-haired knight even mentioned briefly of her running up to him in the past, during their childhood, and challenging him to a duel for the first time. Ever since then, the two had been dueling each other for every time they met.

"Ladies first." Therius spoke quietly, glancing towards Tahirah.

Tahirah just shrugged. "Perhaps all of us should just run at each other like mad, like in jousts and such. Or maybe I will take your suggestion." Before either of the other two could respond, however, Tahirah took out a sword, the silver blade gleaming in the afternoon light. She then rushed towards the middle, and Therius and Zael did the same, taking out their swords as well. Just as they got to the middle, the three blades clashed with each other simultaneously, the harsh sounds of the collision ringing through the courtyard.

The three jumped backwards, glancing at each other as if expecting one of them to make the next move. Zael decided to take the opportunity to rush at Therius, who immediately prepared to block the attack. Tahirah, however, chose the time to interfere and rush towards Zael. The blond lifted his sword upwards, preventing him from being struck by Tahirah's blade, before rolling out of the way to avoid a stab attempted by Therius.

"Not bad." Zael commented to Tahirah. "I have to admit you are a lot tougher than you seem."

"Thank you." The butterfly-masked ruler of Melodia responded, before turning towards the white-haired knight. "I do admit that your skills have sharpened quite a bit since our last duel, Sir Therius. That doesn't mean I'll be any easier to defeat, however, so watch your back."

"Lady Tahirah...Perhaps it'll be you needing to watch your own back." Therius responded, and Zael noted the glimmer of a smirk on his face. The three lunged at each other, ready to strike again.

* * *

"Sir Therius truly is a fierce fighter. He's improved much more than I could ever imagine." Nuriel remarked. The fire-masked Advisor stood with Callista and Arlynne at the side, watching the battle between the three continue. "Lord Zael is also a good fighter, Lady Callista."

"Thank you." Callista responded, before continuing. "Lady Tahirah is also good at combat as always."

"That is good to know." Arlynne replied quietly. She smiled a bit, before continuing. "I still remember watching Tahirah have her first duel against Therius when she was a child. She kept pulling his braid to get his attention because he kept ignoring her at first!" She remarked, chuckling slightly at the memory.

"Ah, yes, I certainly do remember that. They were both littl'uns back then. It was quite cute to watch, even though the battle was short. Tahirah kept begging Therius to teach her to wield a sword after that." Nuriel spoke, also smiling a bit. "The next thing we knew, you and I were forced to duel against her every day. It was boring at first, because we kept overpowering her, but it didn't take too long for the fights to get more exciting as she kept improving her skills. You were a lovely fighter during it all, Arlynne."

Arlynne appeared to blush slightly at the compliment. "W-well, not as good as you, Nuriel, obviously. You're better with a sword than I am." She murmured, glancing away from Nuriel and more conveniently towards Callista for her to see.

"Yes, but who's the best one in terms of magic between us?" The brown-haired bodyguard responded, smirking a bit. Callista couldn't help but giggle a little as Arlynne's blush deepened from rose pink to a light red.

* * *

Zael rolled out of the way, avoiding Tahirah's blade for the fifth time in a row. He held his blade up, blocking Therius from striking him again.

"I say that this is boring me now. Things need a new change of pace." Tahirah murmured quietly, before suddenly jumping into the air and hurtling herself downwards. Zael barely had enough time to block her again, holding up his sword, and she used the block to propel herself upwards again, landing on the ground with both feet. She then ducked down before Therius could stab her, swinging her legs around to trip him. Therius staggered, losing his footing and unfortunately fell forwards. "Ack! Get off me!"

"Shoot..." Therius muttered as the two realized the awkward situation. "My leg is tangled with yours-Er-" The two struggled to untangle themselves. "My apologies..." Therius trailed off, trying his best not to blush.

Zael couldn't help but burst into laughter at the scene. Both Tahirah and Therius seemed to do their best to glare at him, but both were blushing a bit of embarrassment, so it ruined both glares as a result and made them look even more embarrassed. "Well, I wasn't expecting _that _to happen during battle," Zael remarked, helping them both up. Callista, Nuriel and Arlynne were also laughing, and soon Tahirah and Therius couldn't help but join in as well, wrapped up in the silliness of it all.

Tahirah let out a quiet sigh, before glancing at a nearby clock. "Well, I think this spar is enough for now. Perhaps we can all battle each other again later." She spoke up. "Maybe-"

_"Stop that commoner, now!"_ Everyone turned to see five knights, all chasing one tall, ash-blond figure dressed in a simple white shirt and brown pants, running for his life.

"Hey...Isn't that Um?" Zael asked aloud as he watched.

Therius turned towards Callista. "Who is this...Um, exactly?" He asked as a somewhat-confused expression overtook his face.

"Zael found him on a deserted island while taking a break from the duties of the castle. Um's been working as an apprentice of Horace for the past week." Callista explained, glancing at Um, who was now being chased by seven knights. None of the knights seemed to be successful, though, as Um kept leaping over their heads or somehow tripping them.

Tahirah seemed to let out a cringing-sort of breath, before turning to Zael. "Perhaps you would like them to be halted before they crash into anything?" She asked him. Zael just nodded, also cringing slightly as a knight ran into a nearby pillar by accident, just as Um dove out of his way. Tahirah turned towards her bodyguards, snapping her fingers.

Nuriel immediately rushed at Um, determined to just grab him in his arms and just immobilize him enough to he wouldn't be running so much anymore. Unfortunately, Um was just a little too fast for Nuriel, and he ended up grabbing Um by the back of his shirt instead. The momentum caused Um to fall backwards, and Nuriel started to fall. Arlynne tried to help, but she was dragged down as well, resulting in the three landing in the fountain waters.

Therius just let out a sigh, shaking his head as the knights approached them. Obviously, he noted to himself, he needed to make sure that the next batch of knights he sent were more physically fit in terms of speed. Having seven knights chase down one person wasn't exactly good, especially if it was during battle or even just doing mere guard duty.

"Our apologies, Lady Callista, Sir Therius, Master Zael and Lady Tahirah." One of the knights spoke up. "We were trying to catch this ruffian here, who somehow was able to slip into the castle without a pass." He finished, gesturing to Um as two of the knights hauled him out of the fountain.

"It's an important message!" Um shouted in protest, struggling slightly in the knights' grip. "It's-It's for...For Zael!"

Zael gestured to the two guards to let go of Um, who did so. Um let out a sigh of relief, before taking a piece of paper out of his pocket. His facial expression turned to dismay as soon as he realized it was sopping wet.

"Shoot." Um muttered aloud. "The message got soaked."

"Can you remember what the message was about?" Zael asked.

Um nodded. "He got me to read it out loud to make sure it made sense, so I do. It said, _Zael, I'm sorry that I have to use Um as a way of convenience to get this message across, but I feared that if you saw me in person you might just get angry about the past and walk away before I had a chance to explain how I'm still alive. Please, meet me at General Asthar's grave at midnight, tonight. Please come alone, with the exception of Um accompanying you if he wishes to do so. Therius is also allowed to come, as long as he is unarmed. I hate to be honest about why I ask for Therius to come unarmed if he's coming too, but I don't want him killing me on the spot before I can explain everything. Some of it involves General Asthar himself, and I think he'd want to know about it. -Dagran." _

Zael, Callista and Therius froze at the last word.

"Dagran?" Zael asked aloud, his eyes widening. "It can't be...How...? He died, a month ago..."

"He _died?"_ Um asked, now confused. "Wait, but he's alive...How can he be dead if he is alive? I don't understand..."

Therius hesitated, before speaking up. "I would like to know what this information is about General Asthar, so I won't kill him on the spot for sure. I'm definitely going, tonight."

Tahirah and Callista exchanged glances with each other. "Perhaps, then, with all the absences, we could delay the opening banquet until tomorrow night?" Tahirah asked quietly.

"Yes, I suppose that is manageable." Callista responded, before turning to Zael. "I should assume you are...?" She started, but Zael merely nodded in response.

"I have to know." Zael replied quietly, taking her hands in his. "Don't worry, Callista...I'll be back in the morning, I'm sure of it, and same goes for Therius and Um. It'll be okay. Promise."

* * *

'D' stood in front of General Asthar's grave, waiting. He kept the hood of his cloak up, not wanting himself to get cold in the light of the midnight moon.

_Um is probably bringing both Therius and Zael... _He let out a sigh. _How should I word this explanation? Will they believe me, even?_

"Dagran?" Zael's voice echoed from behind him, and 'D' turned to see Um walk towards him, accompanied by the white-haired knight and...

"Zael. Therius. Um." Dagran spoke quietly. "...I have a lot to tell all of you."

* * *

**Author note: And Dagran is back! XD Next chapter will be basically an explanation of WHY in the world Dagran is alive when he should be dead. I hope you guys will enjoy reading it once I post it. Thanks for reading and reviewing so far!**


	7. ReconcileA Conversation

_7. Reconcile/A Conversation_

Summary: Dagran explains it all...Why he is still alive, and what exactly went on between him and General Asthar. Therius, Zael and Um can do nothing but listen and understand the circumstances that this brings to them and everyone else. Meanwhile, Tahirah and Callista discuss about issues concerning the co-existence of the Gurak and the humans, the past relations between Melodia and Lazulis, and even something a bit more personal to the both of them.

Characters: General Asthar, Dagran, Therius, Zael, Um, Callista, Tahirah, Zoran (mentioned), Mirania (mentioned), Yurick (mentioned), Lowell (mentioned), Syrenne (mentioned), Nuriel (mentioned), Arlynne (mentioned)

Pairings: Zaelista (mentioned), NurielxArlynne (mentioned)

* * *

The first thing Dagran didn't think was going to happen was that he would wake up at some heavenly place in the afterlife, like some bards and poets had spoke of during the cold nights when they had an audience willing to listen to them.

He honestly thought he would be in the exact opposite place; full of pain, loneliness, and the past completely haunting him. He deserved it, or at least he thought so, for manipulating Zael and his other friends, and even killing General Asthar. From what it seemed like, even _Zoran _of all people would be a better man than him in that case, even if Zoran did betray him and the mercenaries in the past, before Yurick and Mirania joined the mercenaries.

Instead of a heavenly place, or a hellish one, he woke up in a space that was completely white around him. It was odd, as he had no idea what this place was.

At least he knew it wasn't some hell. But he doubted it was a heaven, too. So...What was this place?

The sound of feet shuffling made Dagran turn towards it on instinct, and he recognized who it was immediately.

"General Asthar..."

The General stood a few feet from him, dressed in the regal uniform that he always wore. The dark eyes seemed to be of slight concern, and also of a bit of surprise.

"Dagran." The General's voice rumbled a bit, echoing in the invisible confines of whatever this place was. "So...You're here as well."

"Yes, I suppose so...Here with the dead." Dagran responded quietly.

"Not exactly dead, yet." Asthar corrected, crossing his arms. "This place is a road towards the afterlife. So, to be more exact, you're not exactly dead yet."

"But you are. Or at least, you should be." Dagran muttered under his breath, thinking back to when he'd killed Asthar. "I mean, you were 'dead' at least days or weeks before me..." He trailed off, temporarily glancing away from the older man.

The General chuckled a bit at this. "True, true indeed." He responded, appearing to smile a bit. "I should be already somewhere in the afterlife, but I suppose the road to that place is a long one." He paused, the smile fading, before speaking again. "Dagran...I understand your anger and your reasons to kill me."

Dagran felt the bitter feelings get drawn back towards him. "_Your_ knights destroyed my home and my family, and _you_ were responsible for that." He uttered through clenched teeth.

"They were not supposed to do that. I never ordered such a thing for them to do."

Dagran felt himself freeze a bit. _What? _

"They started a rebellion, and part of that was burning the villages surrounding Lazulis." General Asthar explained gently. "I was able to stop that rebellion, but...It didn't erase all the damage they had caused by then. I feel that...I know that it is, in a way, my fault for the villages' destruction, and as much as I know apologies might not be able to make up for all of that damage, Dagran, I am sorry."

Dagran didn't know what to do. Should he be satisfied that he knew what had really happened? Or _maybe_ the General was spouting lies. He wasn't too sure, but eventually he chose the former option. Revenge and anger wasn't going to get him anywhere nice, as far as he remembered from his betrayal towards his friends. And maybe...Maybe General Asthar was telling the truth.

"I honestly don't know what to say, but..." Dagran paused, before finishing. "I'm glad that you told me what really happened. And..." This last statement was a bit hard for him to do, as he expected. He had all this anger and frustration towards the General, but he knew he had to let it go. "I'm sorry for killing you. And manipulating everyone else-I mean, my friends." He corrected himself quickly at the end.

The two were silent, before Dagran noticed a smile appear on the General's face.

"Thank you." General Asthar looked so relieved now. "I'm glad that you understand. And...I forgive you, Dagran."

Before Dagran could respond with a 'Thank you,' or something, the two noticed the light around them getting much brighter, now. Dagran had to blink several times to try to see Asthar properly, and Asthar was fading in front of him.

"What's going on!?" Dagran demanded, looking around as the space began to glow brighter and brighter. "What's happening!?"

"You're not dead, Dagran. You're going back." Asthar responded, his image continuing to fade. "Please, live your life well, and...Please tell Therius that I am at peace now."

Dagran could barely see Asthar, or anything else, except for the light. But, he knew he had to do what he had to do, and he responded to the request with two simple words.

_"I will."_

* * *

"The next thing I realized, I was awake, among the remnants of the village I used to live in." Dagran finished. "It took me a long while to get back to Lazulis, and I came back here because I needed to apologize. For everything. Even if apologies aren't enough."

"...So..." Um looked like he was struggling to interpret what had happened, and Zael immediately remembered the fact that Um wasn't the greatest at speaking or understanding the human language. "You were alive. You killed General Asthar. You almost died, ended up in some sort of afterlife and you apologized to the General for everything. And then you came back to life and traveled all the way to Lazulis to apologize for what you did. Am I getting this correctly?"

"Yes, I think that pretty much sums it up." Dagran responded quietly, letting out a sigh. "So...There you have it. Of why I'm still alive and all..."

Therius took a deep breath, before responding. "Dagran...I am glad that...General Asthar is at peace as he says. And I am glad that you both were able to reconcile with each other. Thank you, for...For telling me. And Zael and Um as well." He finished calmly. The white-haired soldier seemed satisfied with the very fact that the late General Asthar was now truly at peace.

Zael honestly didn't know how to react at first, but he managed to come up with something to say, after a period of silence. "Dagran..." Zael took a deep breath before continuing. "I...I'm glad you're back."

Dagran nodded, appearing to smile slightly. "I'm glad to see you, too, Zael."

Um didn't bother too much with words, and instead gave Dagran a tight hug. The once-dead mercenary was a little surprised at first, but returned the hug afterwards. "So...Maybe..." Um paused, before continuing. "You can stay at the castle for tonight...Maybe?" He asked, turning to Zael and Therius. "Or...I could bring him back to the taver-"

"Um...I don't think that's a good idea." Zael quickly spoke up. "I mean, Syrenne, Lowell, Yurick and Mirania would probably be too shocked to sleep if they saw Dagran. I mean, they just got over his 'death,' and...Well..."

"Yes, taking that into account, we should probably let him stay at the castle for the night." Therius responded, nodding once.

Dagran's eyes widened slightly. "Are you sure this is alright? I mean, I'm not sure if the other people in Lazulis Castle will be alright with it, or Callista-"

"We'll just sneak you in there. Pretend to be wounded and in need of shelter as soon as possible or something. I'm sure you can make something up." Therius responded, giving a facial expression that seemed to give approval towards him.

"Yes..." Zael trailed off, glancing around them. "Let's get back to the Castle and rest for the night. We can bring Mirania, Yurick, Syrenne and Lowell to the Castle in the morning."

* * *

"I'm glad that I could finally talk with you again." Tahirah started. She and Callista stood at one of the many balconies in Lazulis Castle, looking up at the stars quietly. "I feel like I need to touch upon three subjects, in particular...If you don't mind conversing about them so late in the night, of course."

"You can go ahead and start. I don't think they will tire me out too much." The Countess of Lazulis replied.

"Alright..." Tahirah paused. "The first thing is...Concerning the co-existence of the Gurak and the humans, actually. As much as I am glad to hear that you have made an agreement with the leader of the Gurak to have them exist with each other, I hear that there may sometimes still be conflict between them."

"I'm afraid that there will almost always be humans that dislike the Gurak, and vice versa." Callista responded quietly, turning towards Tahirah. "I believe, though, that through the Gurak and the human races co-existing in the same place that they will eventually turn to each other as friends, not enemies. It may be a slow process, but I'm sure that one day all will live in harmony."

"A beautiful speech." Tahirah murmured quietly, half-smiling at her. The smile faded away as she continued. "If only I could say the same between Melodia and the Reptids...Things are stable for now, but there are still some conflicts occasionally back at Melodia that almost erupt into rebellion or even a possibility of a war. I was considering that I should have stayed back in Melodia instead of coming to Lazulis this year, but it would have been rude to turn down the invitation, and again, things between the humans and the Reptids back in Melodia are stable for now."

"I see..." Callista paused, before continuing. "Do you wish to continue on this subject, or shall we move to the next subject you had in mind?"

Tahirah paused, crossing her arms, before answering. "I believe it would be best if we simply moved on. It is a dismal subject, and I do not think it would be suitable to carry on with that one any longer."

"Agreed." Callista replied, nodding once in agreement before asking. "What is the next?"

"It's our relations between each other, or to be more specific, between Lazulis and Melodia." Tahirah responded, a smile appearing again on her face. "I am glad that Lazulis and Melodia has been in harmony with each other, since the agreement. It's been how long since then...Fifty years, perhaps?"

"Yes, I think around that amount of time..." Callista smiled back at her. "I am also glad that our kingdoms have been in such good relations as well. I do hope that continues."

Tahirah seemed to pause glancing away from Callista, before nodding. "Yes, that would be pleasant if it continues." She murmured, before uncrossing her arms. Her right arm touched the railing of the balcony while the left arm dropped to her side. "One more subject...Basically, it's about the both of us." She turned towards Callista as she continued. "I noticed that you were not feeling well...And I saw that you were with the doctor earlier today. Is there anything wrong?"

Callista blinked, before responding promptly. "Oh, no, actually...I thank you for your concern, but it's nothing terrible I assure you." She responded, putting her hands together. "Actually...I'm..." She paused, glancing downwards temporarily, before finishing. "According to the doctor, I'm... About two weeks pregnant."

Tahirah's eyes widened in shock. "You are with child...?" She trailed off, extending an arm towards Callista. She then grasped one of Callista's hands, a wide smile on her face. "That's wonderful, Callista..." She paused, before asking. "Does Zael know yet..?"

"No, I was going to let him know in the morning, as well as Therius and the others." Callista responded, also smiling. "I do hope Zael can take the news well."

"I do hope so. I've heard stories of men that have fought the most dangerous beings and still faint as soon as they hear that they will become a father." Tahirah joked, and the two chuckled with each other at this remark. Tahirah let out a quiet sigh, her smile turning to a slight frown. "Speaking of doctors and pregnancy, I also discovered something during the past year. I am not under some sort of strange illness, I assure you, but...I've discovered that I...C_annot_ bear children..."

Callista immediately felt terrible inside. Being unable to bear children was not a good thing for a woman, especially for those in nobility. Many suitors would turn her down because of this, because she would be unable to produce an heir. And it was especially terrible for Tahirah, considering that she is the last live descendant of her bloodline. If she was unable to bear a child, the bloodline would be unable to continue and would vanish into nothingness. And in the world of nobles, blood seemed to mean everything in that matter.

"I'm sorry..." Callista trailed off quietly, unsure of what to say.

Tahirah let out a sigh, a saddened smile forming on her face. "You are very lucky, Callista, that you will be able to let your bloodline continue into existence, and that you have Zael, who loves you and will help you raise the child well, I'm sure. But as for me, I will most likely wither into non-existence, with my bloodline as well. Alone."

"Tahirah, I'm sure that there is someone out there that would love you, no matter if you are able to bear children or not." Callista tried to reassure her, clasping her hands gently and looking at her straight in the eyes. "Arlynne cannot bear children, either, as I remember you mentioning to me before...And Nuriel still loves her despite that."

"True." Tahirah responded, nodding a little bit. She appeared to be blinking away a few tears. "Thank you, Callista...For your kind words. And for holding this conversation with me. It has been so long since we have last spoken."

"Yes." Callista agreed, smiling back. "And we have all the time right now to keep speaking with one another."

* * *

**Author note: Super-long oneshot this time, because I felt like it. :) And I haven't updated this in a little while, either... (cringe) Sorry about the delay in updates...I hope you readers enjoyed this one.**


	8. Confrontation

_8. Confrontation_

Summary: An emotional reunion occurs between Dagran and the rest of the mercenaries, just as Callista gives a very important announcement for Zael. Meanwhile, Therius remembers something and confronts Arlynne in secret about it. Unfortunately, this only spurs a three-way fight between Arlynne, Therius and Nuriel as a result, and it takes Dagran, Um and Tahirah's help to finish it.

Characters: Tahirah, Arlynne, Therius, Zael, Callista, Dagran, Nuriel, Um, Mirania, Yurick, Syrenne, Lowell

Pairings: implied ArlynnexNuriel, implied Zaelista

* * *

None of the other mercenaries could believe the news at first.

Dagran..._Alive?_ It didn't seem possible at all. They were there at his death, and at his funeral. There was no way that he could have been alive.

Of course, Dagran once again gave his explanation, and the reactions following differed amongst the mercenaries.

Yurick was speechless. Completely speechless. He had no idea what to say.

Syrenne was stuttering, and had no idea what to say, either.

Mirania's eyes went as huge as dinner plates.

And Lowell just gaped at Dagran a bit, before managing to say something.

"...You're back."

Dagran nodded. "I am. I'm sorry."

It wasn't really like any of the mercenaries to initiate a group hug, but they did so anyway. Zael, Tahirah, Nuriel, Arlynne, Therius, Um and Callista couldn't help but exchange smiles, glad that everyone was finally back together, finally reunited, even though death, manipulation and hatred had separated them for so long.

And then, right after the group hug was finished, Callista made her announcement.

Zael was going to become a father in approximately less than nine months from now.

Everyone was shocked, especially Zael, who fainted upon hearing the joyous news.

Tahirah couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "I told you, Callista...I knew Zael would faint."

Callista just let out a sigh, before asking some of the Lazulis knights to bring Zael back to his room.

* * *

Half an hour later, Therius walked down the hall and into the courtyard, trying to think back to an old memory. How long did it take place...Ten years? Yes, somewhere around there...It was the time when Tahirah had pulled his braid, and demanded him to duel her for the very first time. The two Advisors had watched the short battle, ultimately ending with Therius as the victor. Of course, now he and Tahirah both had almost-equal power against each other to use in their duels, resulting in long, grueling battles with not just their abilities to fight, but also with their tongues at times to make a witty remark or two during the fights.

The two Advisors...Nuriel and Arlynne. It was odd, he could certain remember Nuriel but Arlynne...

Arlynne looked a_ lot_ different back then, and he had a feeling why. He noticed Arlynne near the fountain, and decided to speak to her.

"Arlynne?"

The blonde Advisor/Bodyguard of Tahirah turned to face the whtie-haired knight. "What is it, Sir Therius?" She asked quietly.

"Do you remember the first time Tahirah and I duelled against each other?"

Arlynne's face lit up happily at she remembered it. "Oh yes! It was certainly a wonderful duel, even though it was so brief." She remarked, giving a wide grin. "Nuriel and I were subjected to duels against her ever since, and she has grown since then. The two of you looked lovely together."

"Yes...And of course, you and Nuriel were watching us at the time." Therius paused, before responding. "I remember Nuriel's appearance well, but...Your appearance..." He paused, before speaking again. "You were _not_ wearing a dress. In fact, I don't think you had _any_ shade of femininity in your appearance at all, save for the long hair and your facial features somewhat, behind the mask."

Arlynne's facial expression turned to a small frown. "Sir Therius..." She started, but that was when Therius asked the question.

"Arlynne...Are you _not_ a female, as I have assumed for all these years?"

Arlynne's facial expression seemed to go into a slight glare at Therius, before briefly looking down at the floor as he spoke up.

"Yes." His tone was as cold as ice for a moment. "My real name is_ Arlyn_, without the extra 'n' and 'e' at the end of the name. I've been dressed like a woman because of a war between the Reptids and Melodia nine years ago. I acted as a spy for Melodia, as the Reptids were sexist enough back then to believe that they would be able to handle going against a Melodian woman than a man. The war was won by Melodia, because I figured out the plans quickly enough and Tahirah was able to make the Reptids' plans fall apart."

Arlyn's facial expression softened a bit as he continued. "I could have gone back to dressing and acting as a man, Therius, after the war was over. But...During the time, I found that I started to...Enjoy myself, donning the form of a woman instead of the man I was. It wasn't for perverted purposes, I assure you, but it's just that it seemed...Natural to me. More natural than dressing and acting as a man. Tahirah and Nuriel came to understand this, and I am thankful for their acceptance as who I am."

"What is this?" The two turned to see Nuriel, standing a few paces away from them as he spoke aloud. "Arlyn, did he...?" He paused as soon as he noticed Therius turn towards him.

Arlyn paused, before responding. "Yes, Nuriel. He figured it out."

The next thing Therius knew, he immediately blocked Nuriel from an attempted slash with a drawn sword. "Wha-" Therius started, but Nuriel took out another sword, trying to stab him. Therius rolled out of the way, before getting up quickly. "What was that for!?"

As soon as Nuriel made eye contact with Therius, the knight knew that this was definitely unlike Nuriel's usual behaviour. "How dare you dig into other people's secrets, Sir Therius. It's...Awfully _rude."_

* * *

"Um?"

Um wasn't paying attention to Dagran. "Um?" Dagran repeated, tapping his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

The blond shook his head, before muttering something that sounded like _'Something is wrong,'_ and running off. Dagran immediately ran after him.

Tahirah immediately took notice, also following to see what was going on.

* * *

The sight that they found was a terrible one.

Arlyn and Therius were knocked into the fountain by a burst of flames, setting nearby grasses on fire, and Nuriel stood in the midst of the destruction, his eyes glowing a dark crimson.

"...Oh no." Dagran heard Tahirah murmur under her breath. "This is bad..."

"What's with Nuriel? Does he...?" Dagran started, but Tahirah nodded.

"Yes. The Shadow must be influencing him-We have to stop him, now!" Tahirah shouted, taking out a sword and rushing towards Nuriel. Dagran followed suite, but Um honestly had no idea what to do-To help Arlyn and Therius, or to go restrain Nuriel from implementing any more violence. The island-bred blond decided to run to Therius, helping him up.

"Shadow?" Dagran asked, dodging an attempted stab from the wild Nuriel. "What are you talking about!?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, we have to get him to a standstill-paralyze him temporarily or something. Then we have to knock him out or calm him down..." Tahirah blocked a slash from Nuriel with her sword, before she used the opportunity to punch him in the face. The older man was sent recoiling backwards, and a ray of ice, out of nowhere, ensnared his feet.

"Now!" Arlyn shouted, before Tahirah and Dagran both punched the fiery bodyguard, knocking him out completely.

Tahirah didn't hesitate to quickly kneel by her bodyguard's side. She touched his forehead gently, before lowering her hand to his shoulder and nudging it a little.

"Are you alright, Dagran and Lady Tahirah?" Arlyn asked, walking towards them. Therius and Um also ran over to them as Dagran spoke up.

"We're fine, thank you." Dagran paused, before glancing at Nuriel. "I'm not sure if I can say the same for him, though..."

Tahirah sighed, standing. "He's completely knocked out. I don't think he'll be waking any time soon." She stated, before turning to Therius. "I apologize for my bodyguard's behaviour. But please, I tell you that it was not completely of his free will."

"You mean, like that Shadow that you just mentioned?" Dagran asked quietly.

Tahirah nodded quickly. "A Shadow is...Basically a being that is born of negativity in the world. It inhabits a host, acting as a bit of a conscience for them. It also makes their emotional state more fragile and aggressiveness increases in the host during the time the Shadow takes hold of it, as well as a vast increase in magic, if the host is born to wield magic. It takes a very long time for the Shadow to gain strength from its host, but once it does it will break free of its host and kill it." She explained quietly, crossing her arms. "No one can do a thing to get rid of it early except for the host itself, and the host must reject it completely in order to break free."

"So...Does that mean all of Nuriel's magic comes from that Shadow?" Therius asked, glancing at Nuriel before turning towards Tahirah again.

"Yes." The black-haired Countess paused, before continuing. "Well, not completely, but a vast majority of his magic comes from the Shadow. Without it, he would be very weak in that area of offense if not trained properly." She let out a sigh. "He's been fighting with the Shadow inside for most of his life...Since he was at the age of five, I believe. He's thirty-five years old now...And I believe it won't be too long before the Shadow breaks out and..."

She couldn't get herself to finish, looking downwards at Nuriel, but Dagran, Um, and Therius understood everything now.

"I'm sure there will be a way for him to get rid of that Shadow." Therius spoke up, making eye contact with Tahirah. "He has to keep fighting. All we can do is encourage him to do so."

"I know. Thank you."

Arlyn cradled Nuriel in his arms the best he could, before the others helped Arlyn to carry Nuriel to his room to recover from his injuries.


	9. Apprentice

_9. Apprentice_

Summary: Nuriel, having just woken up from his unconsciousness, tries to cope with the conflict between himself and Therius earlier. Yurick decides to talk with him about the Shadow, having heard about the fight and Nuriel's condition, and figures out a way to possibly help Nuriel-by making him his apprentice in magic.

Characters: Nuriel, Nuriel's Shadow, Yurick, Arlyn (mentioned), Therius (mentioned), Tahirah

Pairings: None

* * *

As soon as Nuriel opened his eyes, he remembered instantly what happened before he fell unconscious.

He had fought with _and_ hurt Therius. _And_ Tahirah. _And_ Arlyn, too. All because of that Shadow's influence.

Well, it was mostly his fault, he supposed. Letting the Shadow take control of his emotions like that-That was not what he intended. He honestly was just shocked that Therius had finally seen through Arlyn's fake identity. The Shadow morphed that shock into anger.

Before he could continue with his train of thought, there was a knock at the door before it opened. Stepping into the room was a male much younger than him, perhaps in his late teens. He was shorter than Nuriel (obviously) and his hair was white, going down to his shoulders. A black eye patch covered his right eye as well. One light blue eye looked at Nuriel carefully, before speaking.

"I'm glad you're awake now." He commented. "Tahirah and Arlyn were worried about you. Therius, too." Nuriel sat up and turned to face him as the white-haired teen's annotation continued. "I probably should introduce myself. I'm Yurick. And I know you're Nuriel. Tahirah told me about you earlier."

"That's good to know that you already know who I am." Nuriel responded, nodding once. He paused, before speaking again. "...You probably know about...?"

"I know about what happened earlier, and about your condition. Tahirah told me." Yurick replied, crossing his arms. "I find it odd that the Shadow can supply so much power. From how Therius described it to me, it sounds like you mastered magic. But in reality...You haven't had enough training to get even halfway close to that level, have you?"

"That is true." The older man admitted, letting out a sigh. "I can only do the basics without the Shadow's power."

"You can actually control whether you want to use the Shadow's power or not?" Yurick asked. "Interesting..."

"I can, most of the time. Unless, of course, it takes control of me first." Nuriel let a few flames flicker from his right hand, and he showed it to the teen. "With my own power, I could probably make a really small fireball and then throw it at someone easily. But I can't do much besides that, making me nothing but a good lighter for fireplaces and candlesticks." He let out a small chuckle at that remark, before continuing. "If I use the Shadow's power, though..." His hand suddenly lit up with much larger, brighter flames. "I can do much more than what I am able to do...Perhaps as much power as you hold."

Yurick nodded, understanding the explanation, before he spoke up. "I know what it's like to depend on something else to gain power, rather than yourself." The teen took a deep breath, before lifting a hand up to his eye patch and removing it completely.

Nuriel stared at what was revealed. It was a golden-stone, not an eye, that was settled in that right eye socket.

"...It must have hurt to put that in." That was all Nuriel could think up to say in response to this.

"I used it to strengthen my own power in the past." Yurick explained quietly, pointing to the stone. "Before using it, I found that I wasn't any good at magic, so that was why I decided to use the stone. Of course, I eventually realized that besides it just simply giving me power, it was encouraging me to unleash magic so strong that I doubt too many people could surpass it."

"So it turned into a benefit for you in the end."

"Once I could control it, yes." The teen bluntly responded. "You have no idea how long it took me to control that power. Of course, that is my case, and yours is different. Instead of a benefit for you, the Shadow is a crutch in a sense, considering that it could possibly break out anytime soon."

"True." Nuriel replied quickly. He paused, before speaking again. "Do you have anything that is stewing in your mind that could possibly help me, or did you just come here to try to give me consolation over my situation?"

"Technically both, I suppose." Yurick paused, before finishing. "Considering that your magic is so weak when not using the Shadow, and that you haven't had any proper training, perhaps I could try to help you strengthen your magic."

"You mean...I would be your apprentice?" The fire-wielding bodyguard asked, standing. _If...I can strengthen my magic without the use of the Shadow, maybe it could help repel it faster...Or something like that. It might be weird being an apprentice to this young one, but if it's going to help me... _

"Yes." Yurick responded, letting out a sigh. "But, I tell you this. I never wanted an apprentice. I find apprentices to be a nuisance, and I'm only doing this for you if you do as I say during training without question, period. Is that clear?"

Nuriel nodded, extending a hand towards the teen. "It is clear, Master Yurick." He responded, unable to help but smile a bit.

"Don't call me 'Master.' Just call me Yurick." The teen responded, shaking hands with him. Despite the blunt reply, Nuriel noticed the teen trying to suppress a small smile.

Behind the door, Tahirah couldn't help but smile. An interesting master-apprentice relationship had formed, and she was sure things would definitely get interesting.


	10. Candy Chase

_10. Candy Chase_

Summary: Um and Dagran, while hanging out together, decide to treat themselves to some candy. Unfortunately for them, the Orchid Robber Group has their eyes on the sugary treats as well.

Characters: Um, Dagran, Braso, Lelio, Catoleya, Arlyn, Nuriel

Pairings: None

* * *

"There's nothing like a nice treat once in a while, right?"

Um nodded in agreement with Dagran's statement. The two were currently walking about the city, a small bag of saltwater taffy in Um's hand. The two had gotten bored while hanging out, and hungry, so they figured that stopping by the sweet shop would be a good idea.

The two found a nearby bench at the Arena, and as they sat down, Um started to open the bag when-

"E-excuse me, sirs?"

The two looked up from their snack to see a little girl with blond hair shyly walk over to them. She looked a bit sad, and Dagran immediately spoke up.

"What's wrong, kid?"

"Um...I-I lost my mommy. Could you help me, please?" She asked, slowly looking up at them. Her hands were folded together, and the footsteps she took towards them were small ones.

Dagran and Um exchanged glances with each other, before Dagran responded, getting down on a knee to face the girl a bit more closely. "It's okay, kid. We can help you out. Do you know what your mom looks like?" Dagran asked.

"Um...Hair like mine?" The girl suggested, gesturing to her hair. She paused, before continuing. "She's about your height...Blue dress...I think she went into the alley over there, but I'm not sure..." She finished, gesturing to a nearby alley.

"Okay. Let's go." As the three entered the alley, both Dagran and Um looked around carefully. There was no sight of any shadows or people that seemed to match the description. "Oh man, kid...I don't think she's around here. We should probably inform one of the Lazulis Guards. They could help, or...Do you know anyone around here that knows your mom well?" The formerly-dead mercenary asked.

The girl nodded. "Yup. They're right behind you."

"What?!" The two turned, just as loud popping sounds went off. "Whoa! Firecrackers!?"

"Ha, we got it!" Um and Dagran turned to see two boys with the girl, now. One of the boys held the bag of saltwater taffy in his hands.

"Dang it, they tricked us..." Dagran muttered. "I forgot that Zael told me about the Orchid Robber Group that one time..."

"Give the candy back!" Um shouted, frustration taking over his facial expression.

"Um..." Dagran trailed off, letting out a sigh.

"Sorry. Give the candy back, please!" Um corrected, extending his hand towards the kids.

"As if. See ya!" One of the boys shouted, before the three sped away. Before Dagran could say or do anything, Um leapt onto a nearby pile of crates, before leaping onto the rooftops above.

"Go after them!" Um shouted, pointing ahead of him. Dagran nodded, before rushing after the kids. It was a tough chase, as Dagran occasionally kept getting lost in the crowds and that the kids were quite fast runners for their age. Eventually, though Dagran was able to grab onto one of them, Braso.

"I don't have it! Wrong person!" The boy taunted. Dagran let out a groan of frustration before letting go of the boy and rushing after the other two kids.

It was Um, though, who was able to find the right person when he got to Arganan Bridge. He grabbed onto the other boy, Leolio-Or at least, he thought he grabbed onto the boy. He ended up grabbing onto the bag instead, and Leolio let go. Um fell backwards onto the ground, the bag of candy in his hands. Leolio wasn't so lucky, however, and ended up falling into the water below.

"Leolio!" Catoleya shouted, her eyes widening in shock. "He-he can't swim! Help him, please-"

Um threw the bag of Candy to Dagran, right before jumping off the bridge and into the water. The other two members of the Orchid Robber Group and Dagran both stared in shock, before rushing towards the docks as fast as they could. They scanned the water, hoping to find a sign of both the apprentice of Horace and the third member of the Orchid Robber group.

Both of them emerged at the surface after a few moments, gasping for breath and struggling to swim to shore. Catoleya soon caught sight of a small boat, heading towards them without realizing their existence.

"Look out!"

Um and Leolio turned to see the boat, and both panicked as they struggled to swim out of its path...

Until a figure with long, blond hair and wearing a mask of blue suddenly swooped down out of nowhere and pulled them out of the way. Arlyn deposited the two onto the wooden docks, where they were greeted by their friends, full of relief and gratefulness.

Arlyn didn't bother to stay, though he did wave briefly at Dagran, Um and the children before rushing off. After a few moments of running, he bumped into Nuriel, who gave him a quiet nod. The two looked back at the five, before walking away.


	11. Duet

_11. Duet_

Summary: Tahirah and Therius come to terms that maybe, just maybe, they might harbor some sentiment feelings for each other.

Characters: Tahirah, Therius, General Asthar (mentioned), Nuriel, Arlyn

Pairings: implied TahirahxTherius, mentioned ArlynxNuriel, mentioned Zaellista

* * *

Therius stared at the instrument in front of him, a piano. He didn't know how to play the instrument, as he spent his past time training for battle rather than leisurely playing music, but he knew Tahirah definitely knew how to play the piano, as well as other instruments.

The kingdom of Melodia liked to emphasize peace and harmony among all, and therefore despite the amount of military troops they had, they also promoted non-violent activities as well such as music and other forms of recreation in the kingdom. Melodia was known best to try to bring forth peaceful agreements between quarreling kingdoms, and it was well-adored for that. The rulers of Melodia were always so diplomatic, so intelligent and able to see all sides of the situation. Tahirah, of course, was no exception.

The white-haired knight sat on the piano bench, and he extended a hand towards the white and black keys, pressing on one of the keys randomly. A middle c resounded through the room for a moment, before the sound faded into nonexistence. He didn't really know any songs or melodies that he could play on the piano; no, the Countess of Melodia was better at that than he could ever be.

He thought about ten years back, to when he'd actually had a first conversation/encounter with her. Her parents were already deceased by the time that he'd met her, so Arlyn and Nuriel were already existent in her life as her advisors/caretakers/bodyguards...

_"Therius?"_

_The white-haired boy didn't pay attention, and instead he was practicing some sword wielding techniques in the courtyard of Melodia Castle. The black-haired girl, unmasked, let out a 'hmph' and grabbed his braid firmly. She then pulled down on the braid as hard as she could, and the boy let out a yelp of pain._

_"Lady Tahirah..." Arlyn was heard groaning in the background as Nuriel let out a chuckle. "That's not nice..."_

_"What was that for!?" He exclaimed, turning to face her._

_"You didn't answer me." The girl responded, crossing her arms. "Don't tell me that you've already forgotten who I am."_

_"Tahirah Zakiyaa, Countess of Melodia, I don't think it's very noble-like to go around pulling people's hair. And no, I haven't forgotten about you. You've only been here for the past few hours, anyway." Therius replied, letting out a sigh. "What is it that you wished to speak with me about?"_

_"I want to challenge you to a duel."_

_A duel? Well, that was an interesting request...Therius didn't know if the girl had taken any lessons in swordsmanship, or if she was even skilled with a sword at all, but he figured it was a reasonable request. He would just go easy on her..._

_"Alright." He responded, his head tilting to the side a bit. "Do you have a sword?" Tahirah nodded, before taking out a small sword. "I see...Are you ready, then?" She nodded, before rushing at him and swinging her sword wildly._

_He sidestepped her easily, before his sword connected with hers with a mighty clang. Therius then proceeded to attempt a few light hits before quickly knocking the sword out of her hands. Therius couldn't help but smile inwardly as Tahirah let out a sigh of defeat._

_"I'll never be as good as you..." She trailed off quietly, looking downwards. _

_"Well, I suppose if you keep practicing, you may be able to match my skill." He responded, sheathing his sword and extending a hand to her. "And I suppose I could try to mentor you."_

_Tahirah just grinned at him, the two shaking hands. "It's a deal."_

"Therius?" Therius looked up to see Tahirah, walking over to him. "There you are...I've been...looking for you." She finished quietly, sitting down beside him on the piano bench. "I wanted to talk to you."

"What would the subject of this conversation be, exactly?" The white-haired knight asked.

The Countess of Melodia paused, before responding. "...It's about us." She seemed to half-smile when she said the word 'us,' but it faded slightly as she continued. "How long has it been since we first met? Ten years?"

"Yes." Therius answered her, nodding once. "You challenged me to that duel. You haven't stopped challenging me since."

"True." Tahirah smiled a little bit more now. "I remember General Asthar saying that you weren't a 'hit with the ladies' because you acted so formal in front of everyone. I do miss him. General Asthar is a good man..."

"That is also true." Therius responded, thinking back to when the General was still alive. All the advice, training, and basically almost every lesson that accounted to life for him was mostly learned through Asthar's guidance. He almost smiled a little at the memory, though it was a sad one. "He did seem to be impressed with your determination to keep training so you could one day beat me in a duel. You're getting close."

"Thank you." The two were silent for a moment, giving them the opportunity to think over a few more things. Unfortunately, this also made the atmosphere between them somewhat awkward during the silence.

_General Asthar, if you were here right now, tell me what I should do and say, please! _Therius thought, nearly panicking. _I can't let this get any more awkward, and...And if it gets any more awkward, it'll be completely embarrassing for the both of us. What do I feel about Tahirah? Do I...Did I...Maybe it's more than just the friendly rivalries we've had over the years. Could it be something else? Have I not realized it until now!? Goodness...I'm so pathetic when it comes to things like this...I don't know what to do..._

_What should I do?_ Tahirah thought to herself worriedly._ Therius is so silent-perhaps I should tell him how I've felt for him in the past years? But what if he rejects me? It would make sense why-I mean, I can't have children...Or he doesn't feel the same as I do. I don't know... Do I even feel this way for him? Do I absolutely, truly and completely feel this way for him? Or is it just friendly relations?_

"Tahirah-"

"Therius, I-"

The two stopped speaking as soon as they turned their faces towards each other. Both only then realized the petite amount of distance between them, taking into consideration that they were sitting right beside each other on a small piano bench. Both pulled away from each other a little, before they tried to speak again.

"Therius-"

"Tahirah-"

Both went silent, before Tahirah spoke up.

"This isn't working. We need to go one at a time in some way. Speaking at the same time doesn't seem to be working, unfortunately."

"I noticed." Therius muttered quietly as he felt a little heat rise to his face. Wait, since when did he ever get embarrassed?

"Therius...Do you have a fever? Your face is a little red-" Tahirah started, but Therius shook his head and looked away, blushing a little more. "Wait, if you don't have a fever then-Are you embarrassed about something?"

"Erm, well, if realizing that you've actually had sentiment feelings towards someone for a long time but you didn't realize it until now counts as embarrassing, then yes, I'm embarrassed." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He let out something between a sigh and a groan as Tahirah smiled a little, keeping her mouth closed as well as she could to prevent herself from laughing.

"So you feel these things? Is it towards someone in particular?"

"Yes." He turned towards her again. "It's you."

Tahirah froze a bit, her eyes widening. She paused, before speaking. "Would it work? I mean...I need to tell you something. It's something of grave importance for people that wish to be in romantic relationships-more towards marriage, but..." She paused again, her smile fading. "I can't have children. I don't know if you ever want to get married, or have children, but...If you do, perhaps I would not be the right one. I just...thought I would tell you. I don't want to be a burden to what you want to achieve-To teach those aspiring to be knights on how to be real knights. Like you."

Tahirah let out a sigh, biting her lip a little bit. _I said it. Therius...Will he still accept me?_

Therius paused, processing the information in his mind, before speaking. "...I don't think I ever planned on having any children or getting married, thank you. But...I...have harbored feelings for you. For the past years. I'm not going to give up on them just because you can't children or because of our rank. Zael and Callista are married and it seemed impossible at first, considering that Zael was not a noble or even a knight in the first place. Arlyn and Nuriel are both the same gender, but still love each other otherwise. If they can be in love, why not us?"

Tahirah nodded quietly. "It is decided?"

Therius nodded once in response before speaking. "Yes."


	12. Interrogation

_12. Interrogation_

Summary: Nuriel, Arlyn, Zael and Callista are all aware that something has happened between Therius and Tahirah during the previous hour. They're not sure what it is, however, so they interrogate the two of them separately, leading to some embarrassment between the new romantic duo.

Characters: Nuriel, Arlyn, Zael, Callista, Therius, Tahirah, General Asthar (mentioned)

Pairings: NurielxArlyn, implied TheriusxTahirah, Zaellista

* * *

"Something has happened."

It was Nuriel that brought up the subject.

Zael and Callista looked up from some paperwork to see the two advisors/bodyguards of Countess Tahirah, standing in front of the desk. "Is it anything terrible? Did somebody get hurt?" Zael asked, standing.

"No, actually. It's the opposite-It appears that we have a new set of lovebirds fleeting about in this life since approximately an hour ago." The fiery advisor responded, smirking a bit.

Arlyn blushed and elbowed Nuriel, who let out a sharp cry of pain. "Don't say it like that, Nuriel! Just because Therius and Tahirah most obviously have realized their feelings for each other doesn't mean that they are yet a romantic duet to be sung!" He scolded, putting his hands on his hips.

Nuriel let out a sigh, shaking his head slightly and still smiling a bit. "Dear Arlyn, do you not surely realize that they _are_ a wonderful, romantic and fantastical duet that should be sung, and the first part of it has already been written?" He cooed gently, snaking an arm about the other advisor's waist and pulling him low as if doing part of the tango, before pulling him upwards for a kiss. He smirked at Arlyn's flustered expression as he broke the kiss after a moment. "They're just like us when we first fell for each other-so nervous and so in love..."

"Don't bring our relationship into this subject!"

"Is this true?" Callista asked, also standing. "It would be wonderful if they are together..."

"Therius and Tahirah?" Zael paused, before finishing. "That's certainly interesting...I never really thought he'd be a hit with the ladies because he always acts so formal..."

"That's exactly what General Asthar thought, too." Arlyn responded quietly, trying to regain composure with a small smile. "Perhaps...Maybe we should ask Therius and Tahirah seperately?"

Zael and Callista both exchanged glances, before nodding in agreement.

* * *

Therius would have been walking towards the courtyard peacefully, had it not been for Zael and Nuriel suddenly appearing by his side and interrogating him.

"Therius...I hear that you and Lady Tahirah are, ahem, having very sentiment feelings for each other." Zael started. "I also heard that you both just realized about it in the past hour."

Therius raised a suspicious eyebrow at the statements, before speaking. "I don't see how it matters to either you or Nuriel..." He trailed off quietly.

"Of course it would matter!" Nuriel exclaimed a little too gleefully. "I mean, if you dare hurt her in any way, Arlyn and I technically have the authority to annihilate you, whether you are in love with her or not! You better be taking good care of her if you both end up getting married and being together forever, because if you don't, I will personally hang you over a raging bonfire for over two hours, beat you up barehanded and then chop all of your limbs off one-by-one!"

Zael and Therius both stared at Nuriel, worried expressions overtaking their faces.

"Erm...Nuriel...Don't you think that's a bit much?" Zael asked nervously.

Nuriel paused, thinking about it for a moment. "True. Okay, never mind. About the first part, I'll just hang you above the bonfire for an hour. Two hours is too long to contain flames that powerful, anyway..."

* * *

"So, Lady Tahirah...I hear that you have sentiment feelings for Therius." Arlyn started gently. "And I also hear that he feels the same towards you."

"Please, Arlyn and Callista, get to the point. What is it?" Tahirah asked quietly, trying to brush off the subject. The three were currently walking down the hall towards the courtyard as the conversation continued.

"Is it true that you and Therius are now, well, together romantically in some way?" Callista inquired, doing her best to hide a few giggles. "Sir Therius is so lucky to have you, and you're very lucky to have him, Tahirah."

"Why do you need to know!?" Tahirah responded, an expression of mild horror on her face. "You do not think that we have done anything associated with anything...anything scandalous, do you!?"

"You make it sound like you just did...Don't tell me it's anything associated with the marital bed already, please?" Arlyn trailed off, frowning a bit but internally laughing at Tahirah's facial expression, knowing fully that she would never dare do anything like that.

Tahirah seemed to go pale at Arlyn's statement, and as they entered the courtyard, she let out a scream.

* * *

"THERIUS AND I DID NOTHING ASSOCIATED WITH THE MARITAL BED, NOR ANYTHING ELSE SCANDALOUS! ALL WE DID IN THE PAST HOUR IS HONESTLY TALK ABOUT OUR FEELINGS TOWARDS! NOTHING ELSE, I ASSURE YOU!"

Zael, Therius and Nuriel all stared at Tahirah, who just yelled at Callista and Arlyn at the top of her lungs. The poor Countess looked completely flustered and embarassed, and then Therius turned towards Zael and Nuriel suspiciously with a look that said _'What did they talk to her about!?'_

After a moment of silence, however, it was Therius' turn to be flustered as he realized what Callista and Arlyn might have been questioning her about. The white-haired knight let out a shudder, before speaking up as calmly as possible.

"Lady Tahirah, I understand that you need to clarify a few things to make sure the start of rumours die before they can spread further, but did you truly have to make it compulsory to make your clarification so amplified that it echoes throughout half the castle?"

Tahirah turned, spotting Therius and her eyes seemed to almost bug out of her head in disbelief that he, Zael and Nuriel had overheard her. She let out something between a sigh and an embarrassed moan, before muttering something that sounded like "My apologies," to Callista before running out of the courtyard.

Therius let out a sigh and started to walk after the Countess. "Tahirah..." He trailed off quietly, thinking about how she'd had outbursts like this in the past. "You haven't changed too much since childhood, dear Countess..."

"So you both are together." Arlyn spoke up quietly, sounding a bit in awe as Therius continued to follow Tahirah out of the courtyard. "I do feel terrible for pestering Lady Tahirah-I will apologize to her later for embarrassing her so..."

"Well," Callista remarked quietly. "At least we know they are somewhat together."

"Yes, indeed." Zael responded, chuckling nervously as he walked over to Callista before giving her a quick kiss. "Now, considering that it's getting a bit late in the afternoon, how about we all get ready for the Welcome Ball tonight?" Callista just nodded, before taking his hand in hers. The two started to walk over the courtyard as Nuriel turned towards Arlyn.

"Did you press the question about this 'marital bed' thing or did Callista? Because if you did, I daresay you are clever for embarrassing our dear Countess." He spoke, smirking a bit.

Arlyn let out a sigh. "I didn't think it would be that bad...Nor did I think she would be so vocal about clarifying such things, dear Nuriel..." He trailed off, blushing a little as the two also left the courtyard. "Come on. Let's go get ready for the ball tonight..."


	13. Dance of Strife

_13. Dance of Strife_

Summary: During the Welcome Ball as everyone is celebrating, two uninvited guests arrive and both of them wreak havoc all over Lazulis.

Characters: Tahirah, Therius, Zael, Callista, Dagran, Syrenne, Lowell, Mirania, Yurick, Nuriel, Arlyn, Um, Nuriel's Shadow, Ariela, Horace, Meredith, Reptids, Reptid King (will also be known as Chrysaor)

Pairings: Implied TahirahxTherius, obvious NurielxArlyn, some HoracexMeredith, implied SyrennexLowell

* * *

Nuriel sighed as he adjusted his bow for the tenth time. "Are you sure that I look alright, Arlyn?" He asked quietly as he looked in the mirror. "Every minute I see that a strand of hair is out of place, my bow is crooked, my shirt is all wrinkled, and-"

"Please, Nuriel, calm yourself." Arlyn tried to reassure him as he straightened the skirt part of his white dress. This dress was different from the one he usually wore, as there were more blue ribbons about the sleeves and bodice of the dress, as well as small bows lined up row-by-row on the skirt part of the dress. "You look lovely, and we're already late for the ball. We must head down there quickly."

"Alright." Nuriel spoke up, nodding. "You go on ahead. I'll be there soon, Arlyn." He responded, giving the other advisor a light kiss on the cheek. The blond gave him a kiss back, before leaving the room. Nuriel began to follow him after straightening his shirt the best he could, but a sharp pain suddenly passed through his head. He fell onto a knee, weakened.

He felt drained so suddenly, and he had a terrible feeling of what it was. He heard his Shadow chuckle slowly in his mind, and a smirk echoed through his ears before he heard a voice quite similar to his own speak.

_"My, my...I already have enough power to awaken? How convenient...As for you, my dear human host of the age of thirty-five years, I must thank you for letting me use your body for so long until I got enough power."_

"No." Nuriel hoarsely whispered, his eyes widening. "Not now. Not now, please..."

_"Hmph. Too bad." _Nuriel swore he could _hear_ the Shadow smile. _"Now, allow me to take control from here, Nuriel. Don't worry...It'll be painless. Oops!" _He heard the Shadow laugh a bit. _"Sorry. I lied. It's going to be painful. But don't worry...I'll make sure you get a good nap after it's all done. Don't you worry now, little Nuriel..."_

* * *

Therius twirled Tahirah once, before gently pulling her into a low dip. As the two straightened, Tahirah spoke up.

"I didn't think you were such a good dancer, Therius."

Therius let out a sigh before he responded. "Honestly, I hated dancing, but General Asthar forced me to learn at least a simple waltz, saying that if I were to ever ask someone to dance I should know how to dance. When he realized I was progress, he made me continue the lessons. As much as I hate to admit it, it has turned out to be quite useful as you can see now." He finished, a sliver of a smile on his face.

Tahirah smiled back at him as the two continued their dance. "I'm glad we could sneak away to the balcony." She whispered quietly. "It's nice to have a little time to ourselves, and it was getting quite crowded in the ballroom anyway."

"Hopefully Zael and Callista don't notice." Therius replied, smirking a bit. "I'm not so sure if they would be wholly pleased if they found out about this."

"Surely they will understand our reasoning." Tahirah responded, mirroring his smirk. "I'm sure-"

Before she could continue, the two heard the sound of something flying overhead. They looked up, and the sight of warships and airships caught their eyes' attention. Some figures, whom Therius immediately recognized as Reptids, dropped from the airship closest to them and landed on the balcony opposite them.

Immediately, Therius took out his sword, and pointed it at them, ready to fight. Tahirah followed suite, ripping the lower part of the skirt of her dress (she was wearing black dress pants underneath the dress, so it wasn't like she was being completely indecent) before taking out two daggers hidden underneath the skirt, attached to the belt of her dress pants and pointing them at the Reptids. The two paused, before lunging at them.

"How is this possible?" Therius heard Tahirah speak aloud as they fought the Reptid soldiers. "I heard that the Reptids were stuck underground here in Lazulis thanks to Zael and his friends finding out how beserk they had went, and sealing the only entrance that they could get through..." She paused, stabbing one of the Reptids in the throat before turning and kicking another in the stomach with a foot. "How, I wonder...?"

"Perhaps they dug new tunnels?" Therius suggested as he slashed one of the Reptids in half. "They are very capable of digging themselves new passageways underground."

"True." Tahirah and Therius both let out a breath as they realized they took out all the Reptids. "But then...How did they get all this technology? Did they posess it from the very beginning, or somehow develop it in such a short period of time? Approximately six months doesn't seem very long..."

Before Therius could speak up more Reptids dropped onto the balcony opposite them from above, and this time they were accompanied by a Reptid who had a regal aura, and was also dressed more fine than the rest.

Therius seemed somewhat surprised at the sight. "I had forgotten that Reptids have a king..." He trailed off quietly.

"True. It's just that like how the distribution of power works in Melodia, the king or count doesn't have the full power unless the queen or countess ruling them is deceased or they are deemed too young to rule. If the king or count is also deceased, the advisors take over until the one who is meant to rule the kingdom is old enough to do so. I should have been deemed too young in my case considering I was only about nine or ten, but after my father died I already had a working understanding of how to run Melodia despite my age, so Nuriel and Arlyn didn't have to do all the work for me." Melodia's countess explained, before looking at the Reptid King. "Lower your sword, Therius. Surely there is a way to prevent any more unnecessary conflict by some diplomatic reasoning."

"I am not so sure about that, Lady Tahirah." The Reptid King replied to her, taking a few steps forward so that he was in front of the other Reptids on the balcony. "Your people went against the contract that my race and your kingdom set years ago, when your mother and my own mother were still alive. Some of your people attempted to invade a piece of our territory and killed many of my people, only a few days ago. According to the contract, your people were not meant to dare even graze a footstep on the land, and you ravaged it!"

"Hold on, please." Melodia's countess responded, stepping forward. "I was not informed of such news. Had I heard of it, I would have come back to Melodia from Lazulis right away and arranged a meeting with you to resolve this, and punish those who did this to your people! I would not dare order such an unnecessary killing like that, Chrysaor. You know that well."

"I suppose that is true. But should I believe you that you did not know about the raids that took place in my land caused by your people for several months? Did you not know that one of your higher-ranked soldiers in your army, not your advisors of course, but a _lieutenant_ led these raids?"

Tahirah didn't say anything, but Therius knew that she definitely had no idea of what the Reptid King was speaking about. She was, however, growing white with shock.

"_All_ of these actions went under your nose and you _never_ found out. How incompetent for a ruler of Melodia." The Reptid King responded. "I have more right to do worse to your country than what your people have done to mine. You should be happy that the ones still alive evacuated from Melodia as soon as possible and are on their way to Lazulis for refuge."

Tahirah shook slightly, her hands tighltly gripping the daggers she held. "...You...You ordered your army to _destroy_ Melodia!? How-how-"

The Reptid King gave her a sour look, and she went silent. "You deserve far worse than what I have done for being unable to forsee such events, Tahirah. Remember that."

* * *

The screams of the people outside alerted Dagran, Um, Horace and Meredith, who were about to have dinner. Immediately, a few Reptids burst into the room, and Dagran immediately took out a sword, slashing one of them before kicking another. Um grabbed a cleaver from the sink, stabbing one of them as Horace got a knife and pointed it at another, a warning for the Reptid to stay back or else. It was Meredith, however, who took out the last few with a blow to the head with a frying pan.

"Reptids?" Dagran spoke up quietly. He ran to the front of the building, where the weapons shop part of the house was located (Horace and Meredith's house was attached to the back of the shop). He looked out the window, before glancing at the open door. He quickly closed it, before locking it. "Dang it, there's Reptids outside! We have to bar the windows and doors, now! Hurry! Arm yourselves, too!" he shouted to the others.

Um immediately grabbed some newly upgraded weapons from a shelf as Meredith and Horace started to push barrels of Gnome Copper and other metals against the front door. Dagran grabbed a crate of nails, putting it in front of the shop window before rushing to the back to start barring the windows and doors back there.

"Dagran?" Dagran turned to see Um, who handed a sword to him. "I think...I remember seeing Reptids on the island where I came from. Aren't they able to dig underground?"

Dagran's eyes widened in realization. "Crap." He muttered quietly, just as a clawed hand burst through the wooden floor. "Dang it!" He stabbed the hand, which sank back downwards. Meredith stabbed the next hand that burst through with a dagger, but more hands just kept appearing, trying to pull themselves up to the surface. "Don't let them get up here!"

Horace looked around as he stomped on the hands or stabbed them with a sword, before noticing the furnace a few feet from him. "Um! I've got an idea!" He shouted to the ash-blond, pointing to the furnace as he stabbed another hand. "Get the hot coals out and throw it at them!" Um quickly nodded, rushing to the furnace. He opened the furnace, ready to grab the hot coals despite his hands not covered with any gloves or protective gear-

Just as the Reptids finally burst through the floor, slashing at the others with the weapons they had in their hands.

Um froze, unsure of what to do as one of the Reptids appeared through the ground, more regally dressed than the others. Um wasn't sure whether this one was a he or she, but the Reptid didn't look exactly like a Reptid, either. This Reptid looked more human, with long, platinum locks of hair, and it wore a sort of fancy, dark blue button-up jacket with black trousers. The Reptid held what looked like a sword in its left hand.

Dagran immediately held up his sword, blocking an attempted stab by the Reptid, before the Reptid spun and knocked Dagran over with one foot, tripping him. The dark-haired mercenary fell to the ground, and lost hold of his sword. The Reptid then turned towards Horace, who did his best to block the attempted slash, but was knocked back when the Reptid suddenly sent a burst of light blue energy towards him, knocking him against a wall.

"Horace!" Meredith immediately got in front of Horace, who was struggling to get up. "Don't you dare lay a hand on my husband!" She shouted, pointing her dagger at the Reptid.

The Reptid let out a sigh. "Surely, woman, do you not realize a mere blade like that would do nothing against me?" It spoke, its deep voice resonating in the shop. "Step back, unless you want to be skewered."

_"No!" _

Everyone turned to see Um throw a fistful of coals at the Reptid's face.

The Reptid let out a howl, stepping back a bit as it held its face in pain. Um seemed to almost glare at the Reptid, before shouting at him.

_"Don't you hurt them! Go away!" _Dagran, unable to understand what Um was talking about (Um was speaking in another language), looked at the islander confusedly. Horace and Meredith seemed to share the same similar glance with him.

The Reptid's eyes widened a bit in surprise at Um's outburst. "He knows the Reptid language?" He asked out loud in disbelief. He paused, before a burst of light blue energy shot from his right hand wrapping itself around Um's wrists and tying them together.

"E-eh!? Ah!" Um let out a cry of shock as the Reptid pulled roughly at the blue rope, resulting in Um falling forwards onto the floor. He looked up at the Reptid, who merely spoke a few words, before vanishing along with him and the other Reptids into thin air.

_"You'll be useful..."_

* * *

"Tahirah!"

"My lady!"

Tahirah turned to see Arlyn, Zael and Callista approach them. Some of the Reptids alongside the Reptid King Chrysaor let out a roar and leapt at them, but Zael immediately slashed them away with his sword.

"I apologize for not being able to get to you sooner, my lady. I was looking for Nuriel...I can't find him!" Arlyn explained quickly to Tahirah, before noticing Chrysaor. "...The Reptid King?"

"Reptids have a king?" Zael asked, confused.

"I'll explain later." Tahirah responded, before turning towards Chrysaor. "Why do you bother attacking Lazulis, then, if you've already achieved your goal of destroying Melodia because of your thought of me as incompetent to rule over Melodia!? Why?"

"...To avenge my people." Chrysaor responded, crossing his arms. "It's all _his _fault that they are suffering from poisoning under the dirt of the city! My people are suffering, and dying from what poison is in the waters, and it's all his fault for not doing a thing to help with that!" He pointed at Zael when he said _his. _"You deserve far worse than what I've done to Melodia for this..."

"I was only doing what I could to protect the people of Lazulis from the Kraken poisoning them! Had I not sealed off that main entrance to underneath Lazulis, there could have been a risk of the water system here being poisoned, and the people dying! I couldn't let that happen!" Zael responded, taking a step forward. "I'm sorry that this happened to you and your people, but I had to protect the people of Lazulis. I had to."

Before anyone else could speak up, a humanoid-looking Reptid appeared by the Reptid King's side, with Um in tow. "Sire...This human can speak our language." He spoke, glancing at Um. "I believe he may be useful in some way."

"Is that so?" The Reptid King responded, glancing at Um. "Tell me your name, human."

_"U-Um." _The islander responded shakily in the Reptid language.

"Hm. Perhaps he can be useful." Chrysaor turned to the Reptid who had retrieved Um. "Take him with us, Garbis, and get Gil to command the troops to retreat for now. We have much more to prepare. This attack was meanly only as a warning."

"A warning?" Callista asked, stepping forward. "A warning for who, and a warning of what exactly?"

Chrysaor turned towards the Countess of Lazulis, before responding. "It's a warning for you to not be so incompetent as Tahirah Zakiyaa, and to be ready to bear the pain that will be brought to Lazulis and Melodia both." With that being said, the King, Garbis, Um, and the other Reptids with them vanished into thin air.

"Tahirah?" Tahirah turned towards Therius, who spoke. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly.

"Do you think I'm alright?" Tahirah responded, trembling a bit. She then paused, before starting to leave the balcony. "Come, Arlyn. We have to find Nuriel. Then we'll have to figure out what to do once the other people of Melodia arrive..."

* * *

Ariela let out a sigh as she looked around the tavern. Tables were knocked over, chairs and bottles of alcohol were shattered, and the whole place was a complete mess. She would probably have to clean up, and she was thankful she had the time to, since the Reptids retreated for now.

"Damn it all, all the booze is gone." Syrenne muttered quietly in the background. Ariela was thankful that Lowell and Syrenne were here with her when the Reptids burst into the tavern earlier. "...But why were those bloody Reptids around? I thought that place where they were entering in from usually was sealed for good."

"I don't get it either, sweetheart." Lowell responded, wrapping an arm about her shoulders. "At least all of us are intact. We should be thankful for that. Better than alcohol, right?"

Before she could bat Lowell's arm off her and mope about the alcohol some more, however, the creak of a door alerted everyone's attention. A figure stood in the doorway, cradling someone in his arms.

"Who're you!?" Syrenne asked, taking out both her swords. "What're you doing here?"

"I..." The figure paused, before speaking again. "This man, here...He needs help. I thought that maybe you might have a room for him, hopefully?"

"Uh, yes...Though I'm afraid that this place has been pretty ravaged from the Reptids attacking earlier, sir." Ariela responded, taking a few steps towards him. "What happened to him?"

The figure stepped into the tavern, and Lowell noticed that he wore a long, black cloak. A hood obscured his face from view, and he held none other than Nuriel in his arms. "...He was attacked by a Shadow, madam. It's remarkable that he is still alive. I think it drained him of a lot of energy, though, so something that can rejuvenate his stanima might be useful for him. Some rest in a comfortable bed, if possible." He responded softly.

"Shadow?" Syrenne turned to Lowell. "Hey, didn't Zael mention something about a Shadow existing in Nuriel just yesterday?" She asked.

"Yeah. He did..." Lowell trailed off quietly, before turning to see Ariela lead the man towards a room. Both former mercenaries followed suite, and they opened the door to a small room. Shelves were torn off the walls and the bed covers were a bit wrinkled from being looked at in case they contained anything that could help the Reptids, but other than that the room was alright.

The figure lay Nuriel onto the bed, and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, madam." He spoke to Ariela quietly. "I could pay, if you wish-"

"No need." Ariela responded quietly. "I'm just glad that he can recover, that's all. And it's good of you to help him."

The figure nodded once. "That is good to hear. Thank you."

"Hey...Can I ask something?" The figure turned towards Lowell, who spoke up. "Who are you, exactly?"

The figure paused, before pulling back the hood of his cloak. Syrenne, Ariela, and Lowell's eyes widened in disbelief as they realized how similar he looked compared to Nuriel...

_"I am the Shadow. Nuriel's Shadow."_ Before anyone else could do a thing, he turned and dove out of the broken window, landing on both feet in the streets below before rushing away.


	14. Sick

_14. Sick_

Summary (which is seriously too long, but hopefully it's not too annoying because of that) : Nuriel, weakened from losing most of his power to the Shadow, is stuck in bed with a bit of a fever and Ariela and Arlyn are stuck with taking care of him while Zael, Callista, Therius and Tahirah struggle to figure out what to do now. Syrenne, Dagran and Lowell discuss about the Shadow and Um's kidnapping with each other; all in wonder of why the Shadow didn't simply kill Nuriel when it had the chance to do so, and why the Reptids would have taken Um with them. Meanwhile, Um is shown of how terribly the Reptids are suffering from the poisoning, and the islander is very affected by the sight. Nuriel's Shadow isolates himself outside of Lazulis to ensure his own safety, thinking about Ariela's kindness and of something that he will do-_never kill Nuriel_-for a certain reason, but he is interrupted by two mages.

Characters: Gil, Um, Chrysaor (mentioned), Nuriel, Syrenne, Lowell, Dagran, Nuriel's Shadow, Ariela, Arlyn, Zael (mentioned), Callista (mentioned), Therius (mentioned), Tahirah (mentioned), Yurick, Mirania

Pairings: ArlynxNuriel

* * *

Nuriel's eyes flickered open to see a red-haired woman wiping his forehead with a cold towel. He immediately let out a gasp from the icy cold dampness hitting his heated dry skin, and he tried to get up, but she pushed him back down on the bed he lay in.

"Please rest..." The woman trailed off quietly. "You've been through a lot of stress on your body, especially with the Shadow attacking you earlier. I don't think it would be good for you to move around too much for now, at least until you get more energy. I think you have a fever, too."

Nuriel nodded quietly, letting out a sigh as he tested his limbs to make sure that they were intact. "...I'm sorry, but...who are you?" He asked quietly, trying to relax as the cold towel brushed against his forehead again.

"My name is Ariela." She responded quietly, putting the towel to the side. "You were brought here to my tavern by your Shadow earlier. He seemed sad for you. Almost completely concerned for you, I think. I don't understand, though-I thought all Shadows killed their hosts after they emerged from the body..."

"..." Nuriel paused quietly, before speaking up. "I think...I think that the Shadow cared about me somewhat, during the time it was embedded in my body. I thought it was only so that I wouldn't try to resist it, though, so I wouldn't get rid of it early. It-he-he would always speak to me in my head whenever I felt alone. Offer advice if I was stuck with a problem. Sometimes he would persuade me to do violent acts towards people who did wrong towards me or anyone I cared about. And of course, I went along with it all."

Before Ariela could speak up, Arlyn came rushing into the room, panting and gasping a bit. The crossdressing bodyguard of Tahirah Zakiyaa looked a bit panicked.

"Nuriel!" As Nuriel sat up to face his beloved, he was immediately tackled down by one of Arlyn's forceful hugs. "I thought you almost died out there because of that Shadow..." Arlyn trailed off quietly, burying his head into Nuriel's chest a little. "I'm...I'm glad that you're alright."

Nuriel weakly placed a kiss on Arlyn's forehead. "Gently," He cautioned quietly, and the blond rolled off him and sat up on the bed, helping the brown-haired bodyguard sit up as well. "I'm glad that you're alright, too..." He paused, before continuing. "Is Lady Tahirah...?"

"Lady Tahirah is alive and safe. I cannot say the same for the vast majority of the people in Melodia..."

"What!?" Everyone turned to see Syrenne and Lowell step into the room. "Wait...you're telling me that Melodia is destroyed!?" Syrenne exclaimed, her eyes wide. "I can't believe that!"

"It was the Reptids that did it." Arlyn responded quietly, but the volume of his voice rose as he continued. "Not everyone was killed, and the survivors are heading towards Lazulis for refuge...But I cannot believe this has happened! How would Lady Tahirah know of such atrocious acts going about in Melodia if no one ever spoke up about it? If no one ever knew!? King Chrysaor had no right to trash Melodia like that!"

"Arlyn, please. Calm down already!" Lowell spoke up, crossing his arms. "It's not going to help Nuriel, or Tahirah or Zael or anyone else!" Arlyn muttered something that sounded like 'sorry,' but then Lowell spoke up again. "Speaking of Zael, what's going on with him?"

"Lady Callista, Lord Zael, Sir Therius and Lady Tahirah are trying to figure out what to do once the people of Melodia get to Lazulis." Arlyn replied, his voice now soft again. "I am to assist them with advice, obviously, as I am an advisor of Lady Tahirah, and also help Nuriel recover until he is physically fit enough to be by Lady Tahirah's side."

"Understood." Nuriel responded, nodding once. "I'll do my best to recover as soon as I can."

* * *

"Syrenne? Lowell!?"

The two former mercenaries turned to see Dagran run over to them. "I can't-" Dagran paused, taking a deep breath before blurting out, "I can't find Um! He was taken by some Reptids, and I've been trying to find him! And I can't..."

"Um got kidnapped by those bloody Reptids!? Well, this is great..." Syrenne trailed off sarcastically. "We can't just let him stick with them. What if they try to torture him for information? He knows pretty much nothing big and secret about Lazulis or whatever!"

"He doesn't anything about Melodia, either..." Lowell trailed off quietly. "Why would they take him if he's dead weight in those areas of information? There's no way they would have known beforehand that he can upgrade weapons or set really complicated traps easily unless they tortured the information out of him..."

"Well..." Dagran paused, before continuing. "One of the Reptids seemed surprised that Um could speak Reptid language. I think they're going to use him as an interpreter or something, so I doubt they're going to kill him yet. But still, we can't just let him be imprisoned by them! We have to save him..."

"Yeah. We do." Syrenne paused, before speaking up. "That's not all. Apparently Melodia is in ruins because the Reptids attacked that place earlier. And...remember hearing about Nuriel's Shadow? It broke out of Nuriel's body and took pretty much all of his power, so he's dead weight in terms of magic at least!"

"Oh, man..." Dagran let out a breath as he processed the information. "That's not good..."

"I know." The red-haired ex-mercenary replied quietly. "The thing is, the Shadow didn't kill him. He actually had enough pity or mercy of sorts to bring him to Ariela's tavern so Nuriel could recover. The Shadow had the chance to kill Nuriel. Why didn't it?"

"Maybe the Shadow was satisfied enough with the power he drained from Nuriel." Lowell guessed. "I don't know..."

Dagran hesitated, before responding. "Well, we should reunite with Yurick and Mirania first, so we should find them. One of you two can stick around the tavern in case they come back, and Lowell and I can search the city."

The other two nodded in response. It was nice to have Dagran back-It was like the old times, when Dagran led them as mercenaries. Even if he had manipulated them in the past, at least he was sorry and repentant about the issue. And in a time as chaotic as this was shaping to be, it was good that someone was able to take up a role of a leader.

* * *

Um looked down at the animal skins he wore. They were the same skins that he had worn when Zael and the others first met him on that island, and he was so used to wearing them back then. Now, though, he felt a bit odd wearing them. It wasn't like that they were uncomfortable, but he had gotten so used to the cotton shirt and fine trousers. He even had his hair down, which was something he hadn't done so much lately as he usually tied it back, since he had started being Horace's apprentice.

He felt completely embarrassed, really, and this was nothing like the past years of his life on the island where he roamed the whole place wearing nothing but animal skins to cover his lower half. If someone were to see him in this half-nude state now, he wasn't sure what he would do, really...

"You know, you look more natural wearing those skins than the shirt and pants you wore earlier. That statement is meant to be a compliment, by the way."

Um turned to see a Reptid leaning against the doorway of his room, and Um immediately used his arms to cover his chest and stomach from view, heat rising to his face. The humanoid-looking Reptid let out a quiet chuckle, and slowly walked towards Um. "Sorry 'bout the sudden interruption. And no need to be so shy, really, you really do look fine in those skins. The name's Gil, bodyguard of King Chrysaor. You're Um, right?"

Um nodded a bit, looking at Gil. The Reptid wore a blazing red jacket with plain black trousers. A small half-smile was on his face as he looked at Um while letting a hand slide through his silver hair. "Y-yes." Um managed to say in response to him. "N-nice to meet you..."

"Nice to meet you, too." Gil paused, before continuing. "I'd like you to come with me. I need to show you something." Um nodded, following the Reptid out of the room. They walked down the hallway as he continued speaking. "You see, you're probably wondering why we've brought you here, right?" Um nodded in response. "I thought so, so I thought I would show you why. It's not just because you can speak our language, though it will be an asset to what you will need to do."

_"You're not going to kill me after I'm done what you're going to make me do...Are you?" _Um asked through Reptid language, remembering that he was much better at speaking in the tongue of the Reptids and Guraks rather than humans.

_"Hm...No, I don't think we will. I'm sure you have other purposes here besides just what you will need to do." _Gil replied smoothly. The two paused in front of a pair of large doors, and Gil pushed them open.

There were Reptids in the whole room, many of them splayed upon beds. Some convulsed and groaned in pain while others were as silent as the dead. Some Reptid females were acting as nurses, trying to calm down some of the Reptids that let out howls of pain or murmured things ever so frantically in their sleep. A few of them had pus forming at some wounds they had, and Um couldn't help but close his eyes. It didn't help to shield him from the cries, however.

_"Help me...Help me..."_

_"Make it stop, please..."_

_"Aah, no..."_

_"Please, help..."_

Um shook a bit, pausing in his walk and keeping his eyes closed. There were so many cries of pain, and the vocalized pleas were painful for Um to hear. He had never heard or seen anything like this before...

_"Um?" _Um opened his eyes to see Gil standing in front of him. _"This is the reason why you're here. All our kind...They have been poisoned by the waters underground Lazulis. Action must be taken to save them, and we need your unique speech to persuade Lazulis or Melodia to take action about this, to help us."_

Um paused, looking at the other Reptids, before speaking up. _"...If you wanted help, why don't you just ask...?"_

Gil let out a sigh. _"It's not as easy as that, Um. Lazulis has never liked our kind, and Melodia, despite trying to be used to us, will never get used to us being around. Lord Chrysaor ordered that Melodia to be destroyed because that's one of his reasons to justify this, and Lazulis to be attacked as a warning to dare not hurt our kind ever again or else. Lord Chrysaor knows that he can't use complete brute force to get what we all need-aid-so that's why we took you. To speak for us. Surely, the people of Lazulis and Melodia will understand if our plea for help is spoken by a human that knows our tongue, as well as the human and the Gurak tongue, well. Do you understand?"_

Um nodded, trying to blink away tears at the sight. _"...Can I go back to my room now?"_

Gil noted the tears streaming down the islander's face, and he felt pity towards him, that this man was pulled into all of this chaos. _"Yes, Um. I'll take you back there now."_

Gil thought he might have heard Um mutter something, and he knew inside that the islander was right.

_"We're sick. We're all sick..."_

* * *

The Shadow sighed as he sat against a tree. Thank goodness he was outside Lazulis-everyone would be looking for him in there, anyway, so being outside of the city would offer him at least a little safety.

Then again, maybe staying in the tavern could have offered him safety, too, if the others hadn't realized his identity. That red-haired woman-not the one wielding two swords, but the one that offered to help Nuriel and allowed him to let him stay there for free. That lady was nice. Maybe he could sneak back into Lazulis, drop by the tavern, and say hello to her again if he had the courage to do so. Just because one had lots of power didn't mean that they had the courage to use it.

"Yurick? Are you sure you saw something around here?" The Shadow froze, and turned to catch two figures in the distance. He immediately recognized the white-haired teen-that was Yurick, the mage who offered to train Nuriel, if the Shadow remembered carefully. The other figure was a girl about Yurick's age, with short black hair and wearing a black outfit. She had white feathers and flowers in her hair, though, which contrasted with the rest of her appearance.

"I'm sure I saw something, Mirania." Yurick replied quietly to the girl. "It's-" He then took sight of the Shadow, and the Shadow didn't bother trying to run since he was already spotted. "Him." Yurick finished, walking a bit faster and towards the Shadow.

The Shadow let out a sigh, before turning to face Yurick and Mirania. "What do you two want?" He spoke, putting his hands in his coat pockets. "If you're going to try to kill me, I won't hesitate to try to kill you. I guarantee that."

"Look..." Yurick started, but he paused for a moment. "Look, it's not that. It's just-why did you do this to Nuriel? To abandon him after stripping him of his power?"

"I could have killed him, you know. I had the chance to." The Shadow replied quietly. "But no, I brought him to the tavern so he could recover there, instead of being caught in the chaos or getting killed. There is no more use of him to me. That is why I left him." He turned his back towards the two mages, before finishing. "Maybe...maybe I'll come back sometime, to see how he is. Just not right now."

The Shadow just faded away from view, and Yurick and Mirania were both left dumbstruck by his words.


	15. Shadow's Capture

_15. Shadow's Capture_

Summary: Nuriel's Shadow decides to try to see his former host so he will know how Nuriel is feeling and Dagran makes a plan to catch him. Meanwhile, Tahirah struggles with the difficulties Melodia is facing and Therius tries to console her.

Characters: Ariela, Nuriel, Nuriel's Shadow, Arlyn, Dagran, Syrenne, Lowell, Mirania, Yurick, Tahirah, Therius, General Asthar (mentioned)

Pairings: NurielxArlyn, SyrennexLowell, TahirahxTherius

* * *

"Do you think Nuriel will try to come back tonight?"

It was Lowell who had asked the question. Arlyn, Ariela and all of the ex-mercenaries, except Zael who was trying to manage things at the castle, were gathered in Ariela's Tavern.

Dagran nodded. "It would make sense if he tries to, especially if he told Yurick and Mirania earlier." He spoke up. "We need two people at the back entrance, two people in Nuriel's room with him, and two people guarding the front. We can't make it too obvious to the Shadow, though, otherwise he'll most likely try to flee. Arlyn, can you stick with Nuriel?"

Arlyn nodded, adjusting his mask as he spoke. "That is manageable for me to do. I would like to stay with him-not just to guard him, but to console him and care for him. It is my duty to do so."

Dagran gave an affirmative nod. "Right. I'll hide underneath Nuriel's bed or in the closet. Arlyn, just stay by Nuriel's side. Pretend that you're asleep or something, and make sure he has his back to you before you strike. That's when I'll come out of hiding and give a shout, which is when the rest of you can run up here and help round him up." He turned towards the others as he continued. "Ariela, I just need you to act natural at the counter. I think it would be alright for you to interact with him if he comes in through the front, just try not to give anything away. Syrenne, Lowell, you can both guard the back. If he tries to enter through there, give a shout and we'll get there. Yurick, Mirania, the both of you can keep an eye on the Shadow, and try not to be seen by him, if he enters the front. Signal Syrenne and Lowell if he is going towards Nuriel's room. Understood?"

"Yes!" Everyone murmured quietly in agreement. The plan was set. Now, all they had to do was wait.

* * *

"Tahirah?"

Therius walked quickly through the hallways of Lazulis Castle, worried. He hadn't seen Tahirah for the past day and a half, and he was getting worried. "Tahirah!?" He called out, looking around. "Where are you-" He paused, thinking back to one time she and Therius were at Lazulis for the celebration of Melodia and Lazulis' peace treaty, at least ten years ago...

_"Tahirah?" Therius looked around, trying to find the young Countess. "Where are you? Arlyn and Nuriel are looking for you! Same goes for General Asthar and pretty much everyone else, so please show yourself!" He called out, still looking around._

_It was then that he heard sobbing. He turned, before following the direction of the sobs to find himself in the courtyard. Sitting by the large fountain in the middle of the courtyard was none other than Tahirah Zakiyaa herself._

_"Tahirah?" The young countess turned to see the knight approach her quietly. "Are you alright?"_

_"No." Therius felt bad for asking such a stupid question. Of course she wasn't alright... "I'm not alright..."_

_"What is it?" Therius asked, sitting down beside her. Tahirah wiped her reddened, dark green eyes with the handkerchief he extended to her before responding._

_"Do you think I'm not good enough-"_

"-to be ruling Melodia?" Therius blinked out of the memory, realizing that he had found his way to Tahirah and she had been asking the exact same question.

"Well-" Therius started, but Tahirah continued as she removed her mask.

"I mean, I know I asked you that question eight years ago, but I was doubting the fact that I was so young at the time. No one in Melodia has ever started ruling it at the age of ten, after their parents die, unless they're so bold enough." She paused, making eye contact with Therius. "But now I'm seriously doubting my abilities. I mean...I let the whole kingdom get completely destroyed, because I was absent and was unable to realize the little rebellions that one of the lieutenants were doing, as well as being able to predict that a large conflict of the Reptids trashing Melodia..."

Therius let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Tahirah. Chrysaor only said those things to you because he wants you to think that way. He wants to manipulate you, so that you'll end up doing something in his favour. He wants you to think that you can't do this, so you'll end up running to Lazulis or the Gurak for help, or even the Reptids. At least, that's what I think on this matter."

It was a bit blunt, but Therius knew too well that she could take such bluntness easily, even if upset. Tahirah seemed to stop crying after Therius had finished speaking, and put her mask back on.

"That is true." She responded quietly. "You have a point." She paused, before speaking up again. "There will be lots I need to do. Since Melodia is destroyed, it may be best to take refuge here in Lazulis, or perhaps a place farther away from Melodia, since Lazulis is quite close...But the travelling may have made the people weary enough to not wish to move any further."

"Then they would have to stay here in Lazulis, if only temporarily." Therius responded, nodding once. "Tahirah. You are Melodia's Countess. All you need to do is do what you know what will be best for Melodia. I know you can do that."

Tahirah nodded once. "Thank you, Therius."

* * *

The Shadow slowly entered the tavern, looking around to see if there was anyone in sight, and caught the red-haired tavern lady in his view...The one who had gladly offered to take care of Nuriel.

"You're back." She remarked quietly, leaning against the counter as she looked at him carefully. "That was quick."

"I wanted to come back to check on _him _as soon as possible." The Shadow responded, crossing his arms. "Do you know which room he's in, and can I check on him?"

"He's asleep and in the first room to the right." She replied. "And yes, I think it's alright if you check on him."

"Good. Thank you, Miss..." The Shadow tried to think of what her name was, and then realized that he never asked for her name.

"Ariela." The woman finished for him.

"Thank you." The Shadow flashed a small smile before going up the stairs. He paused at the first door to his right, but he pushed it open slowly. He mentally cursed as he noticed Arlyn sitting on a chair, eyes closed. _Dang it, I should have figured that he would want to come to my host's aid...I think he's asleep, though. Hopefully..._

The Shadow tiptoed across the room until he was standing by the bed in which Nuriel slept soundly. _He seems to be alright. Of course, I can't say the same for his abilities, but that's his loss for not trying to eliminate me early. _

As he started to leave the room, he heard a scuffle from behind him, and-

* * *

Everyone stared at Mirania, who had hit the back of the Shadow's head with a frying pan. The Shadow staggered slightly, before he passed out onto the floor.

"That was quick." Yurick commented quietly.

"Well, at least it saves us the trouble of chasing him all over the city..." Syrenne trailed off.

Dagran nodded in agreement. "Good job, Mirania and Arlyn-" He waved a hand in front of Arlyn's face. "Arlyn? Hello? You can stop pretending to sleep now, we got him!"

Arlyn blinked, and yawned a little bit. "I'm sorry...I actually fell asleep..." The bodyguard/advisor of Melodia's countess trailed off quietly. Everyone else exchanged a few chuckles at this, before they left Nuriel and Arlyn behind, taking the Shadow with them to Lazulis Castle.

* * *

**Author note: Sorry for the lack of updates lately-Things have been busy. Hopefully this can make up for it in the meantime. Thanks for your patience! **

**Also, I wanted to give a shoutout to everyone reading this so far, to thank you guys for reading this fic-I mean, 763 views, 15 reviews, 2 favourites and 1 alert is nothing small, and I'm glad you took the time to read this, even if you don't review, alert, or favourite this. Thank you. :)**


	16. A Confrontation and a Message

_16. A Confrontation and a Message_

Summary: Tahirah, Nuriel, Arlyn and the other ex-mercenaries decide to confront Nuriel's Shadow, who is currently locked up in the Lazulis Castle Dungeon-resulting in an explosive one-on-one battle between the Shadow and its former host. Meanwhile, Zael, Therius and Callista receive a message from Um to brace themselves.

Characters: Tahirah, Nuriel, Arlyn, Yurick, Mirania, Dagran, Syrenne, Lowell, Nuriel's Shadow, Zael, Therius, Callista, Um, Garbis, Gil, Chrysaor (mentioned)

Pairings: NurielxArlyn

* * *

"He's tied up and in the Lazulis Castle Dungeon?" Tahirah asked as she, Arlyn and the ex-mercenaries walked down the hallway.

"Actually, more of shackled, almost-frozen and in the Lazulis Castle Dungeon." Lowell explained. "Arlyn and I figured that despite the fact that he has fire magic and all, it would probably take him a while to unfreeze himself, considering how much we froze him."

"I see..." Tahirah let out a sigh. "I am glad that there is a chance for us to speak with the Shadow, but we all must be careful. I think if provoked, I doubt any amount of ice will prevent him from running away again."

As soon as the seven reached the cell of Nuriel's Shadow, the Shadow looked up at them quietly through the iron bars. His wrists and ankles were shackled to the chair he was sitting in. Ice covered his body from the shoulders down, and his face looked a bit pale. Tahirah almost felt a bit bad for him-he must have been shivering so much once he woke up being completely frozen...

"Your plan to capture me was brilliant, Dagran. Bravo." The Shadow spoke with a weak chuckle at the end.

"What?" Dagran seemed confused at this. "How did you know that we even made this plan to capture you?"

The Shadow squirmed slightly in his frozen seat, obviously uncomfortable with the cold. "You see, Shadows still have a somewhat-mental connection to their hosts. Everything that they see or hear or feel or smell or whatever, the Shadow can sense that too. This also means I could speak to my host in his head, even if we're apart from each other. In other words, I knew the whole plan because I heard Arlyn tell him about it."

Arlyn seemed to wince at the comment as Dagran and the other ex-mercenaries looked at him. "Nuriel was wondering what was going on, I couldn't _not _tell him..." He muttered quietly.

"So you let yourself be captured?" Nuriel asked. "Why?"

The Shadow smiled a little. "At least it gives me the chance to see you-no matter how long it would take. Unlike what everyone thinks, I actually feel some sort of attachment to you. That doesn't mean I plan on giving back the abilities I took from you-They were _mine _from the beginning, when I first found you. I just used you to make my abilities grow further. How's the training with Yurick, by the way? Any luck?"

"..." Nuriel didn't seem to want to say anything anymore, but Yurick cut in for him.

"It's slow progress, but it's progress at the least. You can't rush things like this, otherwise it'll probably backfire on you one day." The white-haired fire mage crossed his arms. "What are you getting at, Shadow?"

The Shadow's smiled widened slightly. "Mm, well, I'm in the mood for a fight. Of course, being frozen here doesn't really help, nor does being in this confined space."

"The only way you're going to be able to fight us properly, then, is if you get unfrozen and get us outside." Tahirah spoke, her head tilting slightly to the side.

The Shadow paused, before his eyes slowly began to glow a dark red. "Lady Tahirah...You are in a confined space, with a deranged Shadow with vast abilities in fire magic. Think of what the problem could be, even if I am frozen."

It took a moment for Tahirah to understand and she immediately let out a shout.

"RUN-"

Everything exploded into flames.

* * *

"Zael. Callista." The two turned to see Therius, who had just entered the room. "The Melodians have been sent to sleep in the tavern and in any homes of people that are willing to take them in. They will not be sleeping on the streets tonight. Unfortunately, some of them did not seem to pleased with Tahirah earlier, when she told them of what was arranged..."

"I see." Zael spoke, nodding once. "I'm glad that we were able to find places in Lazulis for the people to stay for now. I hope that they will be able to return eventually..."

"That will take time, Zael." Callista responded quietly, letting out a sigh before turning to Therius. "Did you make sure to have some guards keep watch over the places where they are staying?"

"Yes." Therius replied quickly. "Keeping the guards on watch would mean that the Melodians would not be able to stir up any riots anytime soon. That's a good thing, considering that Tahirah has much to deal with-not just the destruction of Melodia but also the issue with the Shadow...Where is Tahirah?"

"She mentioned something earlier about visiting the Shadow and confronting him about why he bothered to come back." Callista answered. Before she could continue, Zael noticed mist gathering into a sphere out of nowhere.

"Callista! Behind you!" Zael took out his sword and stood in front of Callista, pointing the sword at the sphere. "What is that?"

"I don't know..." She trailed off quietly. The misty sphere stretched and twisted itself, until it looked a bit like a cloud one would see in the sky. An image appeared in the small cloud, of an ash-blond figure wearing animal skins.

"Um?" Therius spoke aloud, surprised. "Is that you?"

The ash-blond islander nodded, before starting to speak in some sort of language that none of the three understood.

"Wait, Um, hold on!" Zael spoke up, and Um paused, confused. "We don't understand what you're speaking about..."

"...Sorry." Um muttered quietly after a moment of hesitation. "I've been speaking so much in...Reptid language...that I almost forgot that you don't speak Reptid..."

"How are you able to contact us?" Callista asked quietly, her head tilting slightly to the side as she gazed at the image quietly.

Um paused, before speaking. "I just...pressed a button on some thing I found in Garbis' room and brought to my room to look at, and it asked me who I wanted to contact...And I didn't know if Dagran, Horace or Meredith were still alive, so.." He seemed a bit sad as he mentioned Dagran, Horace and Meredith.

"They are alive." Therius reassured him, before continuing. "I'm glad that you're able to make contact with us-no matter how sudden or accidental it was. Where are you?"

"I don't know." Um replied quietly, looking downwards as he continued. "They just...brought me here and I've been sleeping in this room...Garbis is scary. Chrys...Chrysaor is okay. Gil is nice. The Reptid nurses are okay, but some don't like me." He paused, before speaking again. "They're really sick from the Kraken."

"Oh..." Zael paused, cringing a bit before continuing. "How'd you get your animal skins again? Weren't they at the tavern-"

"Yes. They found them. Showed them to me and asked if they were mine. I said yes." Um seemed to blush with embarrassment, and he even tried to cover his bare upper body with his arms. "Should...Should I have put a shirt on, at least? I could do it right now-"

"No, no, it's fine Um. Seriously, it's fine." Zael responded quickly. "Is there anything that you can tell us about Chrysaor? His plans, specifically?"

"...All I know is that they want me to speak to the humans to get help. That's it." Um paused, before speaking up again. "...I think that there is more...though...I don't know, but-"

"Um! You..." Um turned to see Garbis, storming into his room. "You...You took my communicator. How dare you talk to the enemy, traitor!" He roughly pushed Um out of the way of the screen, before kicking at the fallen islander harshly. "You...you idiot! How dare you! I ought to have you reported to Lord Chrysaor for this!"

"Stop it!" Um kicked Garbis in the leg, before getting up quickly to face Therius, Zael and Callista. "B-brace-brace yourselves!" He shouted before the image disappeared and the misty cloud suddenly dissolved into nothing.

"Um..." Callista trailed off quietly. None of the three knew what to say, or what to do. Um was definitely in trouble now, and none of them knew whether he was still going to be alive after this.

That was when they heard the roar of flames and sound of screams, followed by Dagran bursting into the room, panting a bit. "The Shadow-broke out." He managed to say through a couple breaths. "Everyone's fighting him in the main hall, but he doesn't seem to be getting any weaker..."

"We better get over there..." Therius muttered quietly, taking out his sword before rushing past Dagran and down the hallway.

* * *

"Honestly, Tahirah, thank you so very much for the idea!" The Shadow crowed before blasting a few guards into a nearby wall with flames. "I suppose I'm free now-somewhat-and I want to fight Nuriel...one-on-one."

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you get!" Nuriel shouted, rushing in front of Tahirah. "Leave this to me and get help, my lady. I'll do what I can to subdue him in the meantime."

"Nuriel, no!" Arlyn shouted, but Nuriel had already taken out a sword and was running towards his Shadow. "Don't!"

"Come over here, coward!" Nuriel roared as he lunged at the Shadow. "Don't hide behind your flames all the time, if you know how to fight!"

"Request granted!" The Shadow shouted back, taking out a similar-looking sword and lunged at him. The two blades collided with each other as Zael, Therius and Callista entered the main hall.

"This is terrible..." Callista trailed off, before starting to prepare an Ancient Barrier. Therius and Zael didn't bother preparing any spells, as they didn't even know any magic, and instead rushed to help the others.

"Come on! Surely you can do better than that!" The Shadow taunted as Nuriel wildly swung at him. "Show me your strength. Prove to me that you can fight without needing the abilities you once had!"

The blades keep colliding, and whenever anyone tried to get near them they were blasted backwards by flames. All seemed to be hopeless...

And then a high-pitched scream/screech/wail/_note _blasted into the air. The flames immediately died down, and everyone else was holding their ears in pain. Even Nuriel and his Shadow had to stop fighting to try to bear with their pained eardrums.

"What sort of hellish noise is that!?" Syrenne groaned as she doubled over.

"It's Tahirah's special ability-_Pitch of Pain._.." Therius managed to say through gritted teeth. "B-basically she sings a very, very high pitched note and, well, you get the idea. Apparently she slayed over two hundred Reptids alone with that ability because their ears were bleeding so much..."

Tahirah finally stopped, and took a deep breath as everyone else relaxed slightly. "My apologies for doing what I did just now, but it was necessary. Otherwise Lazulis Castle would go into flames and I'm sure that would not be good, would it?" She spoke, crossing her arms. She directed a glare towards the Shadow. "Leave at once. I won't have you threatening my Advisors or my people. If you dare step foot in Lazulis or Melodia, I will have you _eradicated_ at once."

"Someone has gotten tougher." The Shadow commented quietly, turning to face her. "Fine with me. I'll leave...for now. But trust me, I will come back eventually. Let's hope Nuriel has acquired some more capability in his abilities of fire and sword-fighting. He'll need it."

The Shadow disappeared, leaving not a trace behind.

* * *

_"I ought to have that idiot killed for what he did!"_

_"Garbis, Um is NOT some idiot! He's a human being!"_

_"Shut up, Gil!"_

_"Um is a human being-no, he's just a little boy on the inside! How is he supposed to bear with all of this!? He came from a freaking _island_, he's a bloody innocent boy who shouldn't have been caught up in this whole situation in the first place! You shouldn't have brought him, Garbis, no matter how skilled he was-it's no good for him to be here anymore!"_

_"You seem to have differing thoughts, considering that you take his side so much and hang around him often...Don't tell me that you actually have compassion for that _unrefined_ creature..."_

_"Unrefined..._CREATURE!?_ Don't you dare-"_

_"He is one. Deal with it!"_

_"I HATE YOU!"_

_"You-you-"_

_"...I won't let you hurt him."_

_"I bet you'll fail."_

_"Try me."_

* * *

**Author note: Sorry for not updating this fic so soon-things were busy for the past while and such...Thank you for your patience.**

**I also noticed a lack of reviews lately, which is saddening. Reviews are what keep me writing fanfics and stuff-I think it speaks for a lot of fanfic writers out there, so it would be nice if you could drop a review or some constructive criticism...**

**One more thing. Yes, this story officially has plot as of chapter thirteen, but I might add in some little side-shots to this, which may or may not include:**

**-Callista, Therius, Zael, Mirania, Dagran, Lowell and Syrenne trying to explain to Um about the meaning of life and other questions**

**-Yurick trying to train Nuriel to relearn his abilities of fire**

**-Arena scenes with Nuriel, Arlyn, and Tahirah teaming up with or battling against Team Zael in the fights**

**-Various scenes with Um and the Gurak citizens of Lazulis**

**Do you think I should add some side stuff? Please tell me in a PM or review. Thanks! **


	17. Side Story 1-Parental Worries

_Side Story 1-Parental Worries_

Summary: With Callista being pregnant, Zael starts worrying about being a father right away. Um tries to figure out why or how people get pregnant. Takes place after chapter 8 and before chapter 13.

Characters: Zael, Callista, Um, Therius (mentioned), Lowell (mentioned), Syrenne (mentioned), Dagran (mentioned), Mirania (mentioned), Yurick (mentioned), Tahirah (mentioned), Nuriel (mentioned), Arlyn (mentioned)

Pairings: Zaellista

* * *

"I'm being a father." Zael muttered out loud.

Callista let out a sigh as she looked up from the paperwork to face her husband. "Zael, you've been saying that for the fiftieth time this week. I know that it must be shocking to you, but...I thought that you wouldn't be so terrified after hearing about this."

Zael paused, before responding. "It's just that...I never had a father before. I grew up without one. I don't know what happened to him, whether he died of illness before I was born, or if he just left my mom. I don't...I don't know how to parent a child!" He let out a sigh, shaking his head a bit. "What if I mess up? I don't want that to happen for the child..."

"Zael." Callista made him make eye contact with her. "It'll be alright. No one really knows how to parent a child properly until they start to take care of one. I think it all comes from experience. At least, that's what I remember my father telling me when suitors started coming to see me, when I was at the legal age to marry." She reassured him. "It'll be alright, Zael. We can do this together."

Zael smiled a little at her, before the two gave each other a kiss.

Of course, that kiss had to be ended short when Um suddenly burst into the room.

"Zael! Callista!" Um shouted, before he paused, staring at the two of them kissing. Zael and Callista broke the kiss and stared back at him.

"What is it, Um?" Zael asked.

The ash-blond islander looked a bit embarassed, and he blushed a little before speaking. "Uh...Why do ladies get pregnant?"

Zael and Callista stared at him in horror.

"Um...Can you wait outside for a moment?" Zael asked after a moment of awkward silence. "It won't take too long, promise." Um nodded, before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. Zael then turned towards Callista, panic spreading across his face. "What are we going to do!? It's like we're already giving our child the 'talk,' and-"

"Zael! Oh..." Callista let out a sigh. "How are we supposed to explain this? Er...I doubt the stork idea will help Um understand any further."

"Maybe we should ask if Um has tried asking anyone else yet. If he has...well...I don't know what to do..." Zael shook his head. He paused, before turning towards the door. "Um, you can come back in now!"

The islander immediately entered the room and shut the door behind him.

"Um?" Callista started after calming herself. "Where did you get the question from?"

"Well..." Um paused, before answering. "I...When I heard that you were pregnant, Lowell, Syrenne and everyone else starting making jokes that I didn't understand about pregnan-pregnancy, and then I decided to ask Lowell and Syrenne, who I didn't understand a thing because they were intoxi-intoxi-drunk." He paused again, giving up on trying to pronounce the word _intoxicated_ before continuing. "Dagran went as white as ghost when I tried to ask him, and Yurick and Mirania didn't really want to explain...So, I went to find Tahirah and Therius and ask them. Therius looked really shocked. Same with Tahirah. Both refused to answer the question."

"Did you try asking Arlyn and Nuriel?" Callista asked, crossing her arms. "I'm sure they might know..."

Um paused, before answering. "Arlyn and Nuriel told me that a bunch of storks carry the baby to people nine months after being pregnant, or something like that, but then why do they have to be pregnant if the storks are carrying the baby for them? I asked them about that, but then Nuriel told me that since he and Arlyn are both men, they wouldn't know how, really..."

"Oh." Callista and Zael both exchanged glances, their thoughts saying exactly the same thing.

_Arlyn and Nuriel must have seriously tried to avoid the true content of this subject..._

"Um, as much as we would like to tell you, I think you should stick with the stork story for now...We can tell you after Callista has her child, if that's alright." Zael spoke after a moment of silence.

"Okay! Thank you!" Um smiled at them like a child would to their parents, before happily skipping out of the room. The two rulers of Lazulis heaved a sigh of relief before turning towards each other.

"That was too close..." Callista trailed off quietly. "But what are we going to do once Um asks us after the child is born?"

Zael shrugged. "I guess we'll no choice but to tell him how people get pregnant, then..." He paused, before speaking again. "Um is a kid in an adult's body, basically, a Lost Boy from the fairytales...it's like he'll never grow up. Not since the time he ended up on that island, anyway. The more he's around here at Lazulis, it's like he's growing up without us realizing it."

"It's like he's a child." Callista smiled a bit. "I'm sure Horace and Meredith enjoy having him around...They don't have kids of their own, so having Um around for them must be like him being a son to them. I'm happy for the two, and Um as well. It's like he's got a father and a mother-even if they're not biologically related."

"Yeah." Zael smiled in agreement. "And soon, we'll have the joys of having a child, too. As well as the worries," He added, letting out a sigh and starting to worry again. "We'll have to make sure that we don't get them near any weapons until they're old enough, which is difficult-not to mention that.."

"Oh, Zael..." Callista let out a sigh, shaking her head at her husband's worrying. If there was anyone who would have their hair be grey from the stress of raising a child, Zael would probably be the first one at this rate...

* * *

**Author note: Sorry for not updating in a while-The main reason is because I had a hard time figuring out what to do first with the side stories. Thank you, Lopmion-12, for making a request for this side story. I really appreciate it. :)**


	18. Protect You

_17. Protect You_

Summary: Gil tries to comfort Um by keeping him company during the night, while Dagran is alone at the Lazulis Port, thinking about the Reptid's human ambassador and decides to do something that could risk his own life in the process. Nuriel's Shadow also decides that, after a moment of thinking, that he wants to protect someone else besides his former host-Ariela.

Characters: Gil, Um, Garbis (mentioned), Chrysaor (mentioned), Horace (mentioned), Meredith (mentioned), Lowell (mentioned), Syrenne (mentioned), Mirania (mentioned), Yurick (mentioned), Dagran, Zoran, Tahirah (mentioned), Therius (mentioned), Arlyn (mentioned), Nuriel (mentioned), Callista (mentioned), Zael (mentioned), Nuriel's Shadow, Ariela (mentioned)

Pairings: possible onesided ShadowxAriela if you squint...

* * *

Gil let out a sigh as he lay in the bed underneath the warm blankets, before turning to the left to glance at Um, who had fallen asleep crying. The poor ambassador had been yelled at and beaten by Garbis, just because he wanted to communicate with his fellow humans. Gil understood that Um probably felt a bit homesick or something-the islander had just made Lazulis Island his home, and just as soon as that happened he was snatched away from that home. Of _course_ he would be homesick!

Gil wanted to do something to help Um, he really did. Keeping him company and support, however, seemed to be all he could do in his power. And that just didn't feel any better-not for Gil himself, at least. He had heard Um mumbling in his sleep, murmuring something about a twin brother, a mother and a father, as well as a ship. Gil wondered if Um actually remembered everything about his past-maybe he just wasn't ready to open up yet. Being scared by the fact that such a huge responsibility was shoved onto him probably made him close the doors even further, therefore making it harder to open up...

Gil remembered hearing Um talk in his sleep about a Dagran, a Horace and a Meredith, as well as a Mirania, Yurick, Syrenne, and Lowell. They must be friends of his-and from what it sounded like, Um was really close with Dagran, Horace and Meredith especially. Gil wondered if there was a way to reunite Um with his friends-perhaps there was. But how?

The Reptid bodyguard/advisor of Chrysaor just really didn't know what to do about this. He had to protect the man, no, _boy, _but how? Keeping him company and trying to support him was alright, but it wasn't going to help too much in the long run. He had to figure out something-and Gil was determined that he would.

"Um." He murmured quietly, even though Um was asleep and probably couldn't hear him. "You'll be alright, I promise, I'll...I'll protect you. If I have to stain my hands with blood to do that I will-I won't even hesitate to destroy Garbis if I have to. So don't despair. Please..."

* * *

"Dang it."

Dagran muttered the words aloud to himself. He stood at Lazulis Port, staring into the waters below.

He heard about Um's attempt to communicate, how he had been put into the role as a sort of human ambassador for the Reptids-and it made sense, since Um could interpret the Gurak, Reptid and human language. Surely, though, there had to be a better way to put him in that position other than just kidnapping him-they could have tried to ask him instead of doing that...right?

"I have to rescue Um...before anything happens to him."

No one could help him to go get a ship, sail all the way over to where the Reptids were and rescue Um. Mirania was healing injured people left and right (a lot of people got injured during the time when the Reptids attacked and took Um), Lowell and Syrenne were helping to try to fix up destroyed buildings, and Yurick was too busy training Nuriel in fire magic. Arlyn and Therius needed to stay by Tahirah's side to figure out what to do since Melodia was destroyed, and Zael and Callista needed to prepare for future fights against the Reptids if they were to happen. Even Horace and Meredith were busy with trying to help other citizens of Lazulis and Melodia in need.

He was alone-just like the time when his village was burning to the ground.

He gritted his teeth a bit. He had no one to turn to-

Wait. He did have someone. A former ally-former villain, too, but...

Dagran took a deep breath, before starting to head towards Artisan's Way.

"Let's hope Zoran doesn't mind closing up shop for a little while, to help an old friend with something important."

* * *

Nuriel's Shadow let out a sigh.

_Outside the city of Lazulis again, aren't I...?_

The Shadow tended to his own injuries, wrapping a few bandages around his arms. As much as he hated to admit it, the wounds he received from those former mercenaries and his former host's allies_ did_ hurt. Just because he was powerful in fire magic didn't mean he was invulnerable to injuries, obviously.

He thought back to the fight. Pitch of Pain...Tahirah's ability...He had forgotten about that, in the midst of the fighting. He should have tried to take her down first, instead of continuing to fight Nuriel... He would keep that in mind for the next battle. Hopefully, Nuriel would be strong enough next time to face him one on one, face to face. That would be enjoyable, surely. He noted to make sure Nuriel was alive long enough to battle him at least once, one on one.

He thought a little more. Maybe there was someone else who he wanted to protect? Impossible! Who else would he have warmed up to, besides Nuriel? Definitely not Tahirah, nor Arlyn-they both tried to take him down, as well as those other former mercenaries. That left one person, the one who had been kind to give his former host a place to rest...

Ariela. That was her name, if he wasn't mistaken. That young lady had nothing to offer him but kindness-even though she knew he was the Shadow that attacked Nuriel, she didn't seem to mind him too much. Perhaps she was touched by the fact that he had carried Nuriel all the way to her tavern so she could take care of him? He wasn't sure, exactly, but he knew that it wouldn't be good if she got attacked by anyone.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Nuriel quickly hid, and slowly peeked out from behind the tree. Two men slowly walked down the path, and Nuriel recognized one of them as Dagran. The other, however, had a black patch of skin where one of his eyes were-perhaps that one was stuck in a brawl earlier or something? "You know that Zael and your other friends are going to be pissed off when they find out you went on something like this without them."

"I know that, Zoran." Dagran answered quietly. "I would have asked them, but I can't let them get too much weight on their shoulders. I'm the only one who has the least amount of responsibilities in Lazulis. I might as well do the rescuing job for them."

"I can probably upgrade your sword if you need to." Zoran responded, cracking a bit of a grin. "Who knows how many Reptids will have to get slashed apart during our little rescue mission for Um?"

Dagran managed a small smile back. "Yeah. I know. Thanks, Zoran."

The Shadow found this interesting...Who exactly was this Um, even? He doubted Nuriel knew him too well-the Shadow couldn't remember any times when Nuriel had talked with Um, though Nuriel and Um had seen each other in the castle a few times before. And if he was hearing correctly, this Um was needing to be rescued from the Reptids. The Shadow grinned at the opportunity given to him.

"This sounds like a great time for some fighting. And the opponents will be endlessly there, ready for slaughter..." He murmured to himself.

He went out from behind the tree, and slowly, carefully, followed Dagran and Zoran to their boat, which would drift towards the Reptid's headquarters...


	19. Unlikely Ally

_18. Unlikely Ally_

Summary: Zael and the others find out about Dagran and Zoran's journey to go rescue Um, and they're not happy about it. Meanwhile on Dagran and Zoran's journey, they realize that a stowaway upon their little ship might actually become an ally to them, even if it was an unlikely idea that he would be one.

Characters: Zael, Callista, Syrenne, Lowell, Yurick, Mirania, Therius, Arlyn, Nuriel, Tahirah, Dagran, Zoran and Nuriel's Shadow

Pairings: TheriusxTahirah

* * *

"I'm sorry, but..." Zael paused for a moment, trying to process the information that was shouted at his face a moment ago. "Dagran did what!?"

"He and Zoran banded together again." Syrenne spoke up, shoving a note into the former mercenary's face. "They ran off to go rescue Um from those Reptid guys...They must have left last night, because we didn't see Dagran when he woke up."

"Zoran had posted a sign on the door of shop saying that it would be closed for a week 'due to re-stocking and renovations needed to be done' as well." Lowell finished for her. "I don't know if that's any good for them to go off by themselves."

"I doubt it." Callista and the former mercenaries turned to see Tahirah enter the room, accompanied by her two Advisors/bodyguards and Therius. "He and Zoran are both from Lazulis, right? So...if they were to break into the Reptid's main base to go rescue Um, they would think that you would have ordered them to do so, not that they did it of free will, Callista." The ruler of Melodia bit her lip a little, before continuing. "This would only bring tension between the Reptids and Lazulis."

"That is true..." Callista paused for a moment. "They can't have gotten too far, right? Perhaps we could send out some boats to bring them back-"

"No." Therius spoke up, shaking his head. "If Dagran and Zoran are the only objects that the ship needs to carry, I doubt they would travel too slowly to be caught by Lazulis ships. And if the Reptids were to see those ships with their boat, I believe that would only reinforce the idea of Lazulis trying to attack them."

"That's true as well." Zael muttered quietly. "I guess we have no choice but to let them go, if that's the case, but if it means either way that Lazulis will probably be attacked by the Reptids again..."

"That means Lazulis will have to prepare for war against the Reptids...All because of two people going out to rescue one person." Arlyn finished, shaking his head a little. "This is terrible...Lady Tahirah, we would have no choice but to send the people of Melodia away from Lazulis and to a safer place, unless they want to get destroyed by the Reptids in Lazulis! But where...?"

"Arlyn...you do bring a point." Tahirah replied quietly, looking downwards. "Perhaps it would be safer for my people to be away from Lazulis before the Reptids possibly attack."

"We can't just send you and your people away with nowhere to go!" Zael exclaimed in protest.

"Zael." Therius cut in, giving the ex-mercenary a hard look. "It would be better for the people to have no kingdom to stay at than to be destroyed by the enemy in what they would hope to be a safe haven for them."

"Therius, Zael, Callista..." Tahirah paused for a moment, before speaking up again. "I'm going back to Melodia. Tomorrow. With my people. I know a spell that can send us back there."

"But, Tahirah, Melodia is destroyed-" Therius started, now protesting himself, but Tahirah was the one to give him a more serious look.

"Not completely. There is still a way." Everyone turned towards Nuriel, who spoke up. "I remember that there was a way to bring agricultural prosperity to Melodia, whenever the land was suffering from a flood, or a long drought-maybe even a large forest fire or two. The leader of Melodia had to play a certain, sacred piece of music. It's called the 'Plea for Plenteousness.' Unfortunately, it cannot be played alone-the more people to help perform this music, the better. Otherwise, performing the music would give a great strain on the user's health." He seemed to cringe a bit, before finishing his explanation. "A legend about this piece is that the first ruler of Melodia died after performing the song, to save the people from dying of hunger because of shortage of available food. It's possible that the original copy of the music could still be in Melodia's Castle."

"Melodia can be saved if the music is still there..." Mirania trailed off quietly, astonished at this piece of information. "But if not, that means that Melodia would be in ruin for sure."

"True." Tahirah's dark green eyes blazed with something, some sort of stronger emotion now. "It's still worth a chance. Either way, at least the people will not be destroyed by this violence."

"The people might protest, though..." Arlyn paused for a moment. "You will need to be stern with them, my lady. Nuriel and I can make sure they are in line so that there will be no rebellion against you."

"I could not ask for any more loyal subjects than both of you. Thank you..." Tahirah took a deep breath, before finalizing her decision. "Alright. We will leave Lazulis tomorrow, then. I'm sorry that I cannot aid you, Zael and Callista, in protecting Lazulis, but my people are my top priority."

"We understand." Callista responded, stepping forward to hold Tahirah's hands in hers, to comfort the young countess. "Do what you need to do to help the people."

"I will." Tahirah gave a nod of respect to her, before stepping backwards a little. "Thank you."

"Um...Lady Tahirah?" Nuriel had spoken up again, and he looked a bit ashamed of himself. "I was wondering...Is it possible for me to stay in Lazulis, to continue my apprenticeship with Yurick? I think...I think I might have stumbled onto something that could be...beneficial in battle against enemies." He finished awkwardly. "I know it's selfish, and that Melodia is in need, but I think that I really can't just put this aside. I'm sorry if this request is so selfish of me."

"Without Nuriel, though, they will have less people to perform the music and it would mean a greater strain on Tahirah's health..." Syrenne trailed off, before turning towards Nuriel. "I hate to admit it, but that's seriously selfish of you, you know."

"I know...I'm sorry." The older man looked downwards. "Perhaps I should just keep off my training until all of this is over. Perhaps that would be better."

"Wait." Everyone turned towards Zael, who spoke up. "I have an idea. Maybe..." He turned towards Yurick. "Yurick, would you accompany Nuriel and the others to Melodia? That way, Nuriel can be available to help Tahirah with the performance and he can still train with Yurick to develop his abilities in fire magic."

"That's true." Yurick responded in agreement. "It would make sense, and I could also help protect the people as well, from any creatures that might attack them."

"But then we'll be a fire mage short. Yurick is the strongest out of all of them." Lowell cut in, glancing at both Yurick and Zael. "What if the Reptids come with stuff that's only weak to fire?'

"Lowell, I think I've got something to remedy that." The white-haired mage responded quickly. "I can help Tahirah find the music while training Nuriel. As soon as the music is found, Tahirah could transport me back here at Lazulis to help defend the people there."

"Yes, that could work!" Arlyn agreed, nodding once. He seemed to smile a little bit, turning towards Tahirah as he continued. "Lady Tahirah, do you think that would be possible?"

"Yes. I could do that before I perform the music." Tahirah looked a bit relieved. "Thank you, Yurick. I'm glad that you can help."

"It's no problem."

Unfortunately, it could not be said for a possible war between Lazulis and the Reptids to start...

* * *

"I'm hungry..."

Dagran let out a sigh. "Zoran, how can you be hungry at a time like this?" He grumbled. "We only started sailing since-"

"Since at least eight hours ago! We snuck out of Lazulis during the night, remember!?" The merchant exclaimed, letting out a groan. "We haven't eaten at all, and I don't think that saving your friend will be any easier if we don't eat."

"Fine, fine, we'll eat..." Dagran muttered, before walking over to his rucksack, lying on the ground. "Let me just-hey!" He looked at Zoran. "Did you look in my bag earlier and grab food?"

"No! I was busy steering the ship!" Zoran protested. The two heard a sudden thud from further inside the ship, and they exchanged suspicious glances with each other. Both immediately took out swords, before they took one step closer to the door leading to the lower decks...

And then suddenly, Nuriel's Shadow came bursting through the doors, heaving a sigh of relief as he collapsed onto his knees. "Dang it," he groaned quietly. "I thought I was going to die from running around in the dark!" He then looked up at the two ex-mercenaries, who were pointing swords at him. "Crap."

"Yes, crap for you." Dagran responded, still keeping his sword pointed. "What are you doing here!?"

"I overheard your little rescue mission goal while in hiding outside Lazulis. I figured I might as well come along, considering that there are Reptids ripe for the kill involved." The Shadow responded, grinning a bit. "I think you know by now of how much I love a good fight."

"Who is this guy?" Zoran asked, pointing at the Shadow. "He looks a lot like the Advisor of Tahirah...Nuriel?"

"Not exactly. He's Nuriel's Shadow. Ever heard of one?" Dagran replied.

"Oh, yeah...wait, I thought Shadows kill their hosts once they get out of them..."

"Well, I'm different. There. Happy?" The Shadow snapped a little.

Dagran let out a sigh. "If you're going to cooperate with us and not get thrown off this boat, I think you better start being satisfied that we're letting you stick with us, you know."

"Fine, fine...I won't kill you." The Shadow seemed to smirk a bit. "Yet."

"Bring it on." Zoran threatened. "You don't scare me!"

"Don't fight now!" Dagran groaned, shaking his head. Even though he was glad that they had an ally, he did not want to lose the Shadow anytime soon...nor did he want to get anyone on the ship killed...

_I hope we don't die on the way to the Reptid's hideout because we can't get along..._


	20. Side Story 2-Consolation, of a sort

_Side Story 2- Consolation, of a sort_

Summary: Takes place a month before the whole fic and post-game. Zepha and Zangurak are dead, leaving Zesha to be the ruler of the Gurak race. The ruler of Melodia decides to pay him a visit and offer him some consolation, which Zesha finds himself to be very grateful for.

Characters: Zesha, Tahirah

Pairings: None, unless you squint _really_ hard to see vague ZeshaxTahirah (I know I did...)

* * *

Zangurak was dead. The greatest leader in the history of the Gurak was dead. Zesha glanced at a portrait of the late Gurak King, hanging in the Great Hall. It was hard for him to believe that such a powerful, inspiring leader such as him was gone-but then again, it was much harder to bear the death of his own brother.

"Zepha..." He trailed off quietly, closing his eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath as the memories of his brother's final moments reached his mind. He hadn't been there to see them, but there had always been a connection between them that made them know what the other was thinking or doing.

As soon as he had realized it, Zangurak had noticed his change of composure, too.

_"What is it?"_

_"My lord, it's my brother..." _Zesha had been unable to say the words 'he is dead,' but Zangurak seemed to know what he was thinking, too.

_"His death will not have been in vain. His blood will pave the way to our noble goal. One could not ask for more loyal subjects." _Those were the words that Zangurak had used to reassure Zesha, and Zesha had believed in them.

_"Serving you is our greatest joy, my liege." _Zesha had replied, touched by the late ruler's words. He had been honoured to hear such words fall from Zangurak's lips, so honoured...

Zangurak seemed to be aware of Zesha wishing revenge upon the humans that killed his brother, and gave a good warning to him. _"Do not die."_

_"I shall do my best." _There was no way that Zesha would let himself die at the hands of the humans that killed his brother. He knew that, for sure.

_"I'll be waiting."_

That was the last Zesha had ever heard from the late Zangurak. The next thing he knew, he was basically thrown into the position as ruler of the Gurak race. He had never seen himself leading his people, but he was determined to lead them into prosperity-even if they had to co-exist with humans to do so.

It was a month since Zangurak and Zepha's death, and he realized that there was something he felt, despite being busy with trying to restore the Gurak Continent. There was emptiness, and it was now that he realized this. He didn't know what caused this emptiness in his heart, but he tried to ignore it. That strategy did not seem to work, however, and now the emptiness was getting to him.

What could he do to fill that emptiness? He tried reading books-to brush up on the history of the Gurak and human races, as he thought a review of something important as that would be good for him-in his spare time, practicing his sword fighting, but none of those things worked. What could he do?

"Lord Zesha?" Zesha flinched slightly at being called by such a title (he never got used to the luxuries of being the ruler of the Gurak, and that included being called 'your majesty' and the like especially), but he regained his composure as he turned to see one of the soldiers approach him. "There is a visitor for you. She is Lady Tahirah Zakiyaa of the Melodia Kingdom, and she wishes to speak with you. Should I bring her in here?"

Zesha paused, glancing at some of the servants nearby, who were cleaning the floors or dusting the paintings, and then he shook his head quietly.

"Bring her to the courtyard. I will be there shortly. And make sure that there is no one else in the courtyard, and that no one enters the courtyard until the both of us leave the courtyard, as I believe this conversation with her should be in private." He ordered. The soldier nodded, before turning and leaving the hall, giving Zesha an opportunity to think about this visitor.

Tahirah Zakiyaa of the Melodia kingdom. He hadn't heard from her in years-ten years, to be exact. The last time he heard from her was when he had been at Melodia to see her being crowned the ruler of Melodia at the tender age of ten. One would think that a child was far too young to rule Melodia, but she was smarter and more diplomatic than most people thought she was, and she had two faithful advisors/bodyguards by her side to help her.

She must be what, twenty years of age by now? Zesha let out a small chuckle to himself as he slowly approached the courtyard. Time flew quite quickly, did it not?

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw her.

She was a lot taller since he last saw her, that was for sure. Her dark, forest-green eyes gazed at him with a sort of welcoming feeling in the irises. Her face-Zesha thought she was starting to resemble her late mother just a little bit, but she still retained the beauty that was still herself, and no one but herself. The graceful atmosphere she always held around herself was still there, too.

"Zesha." Zesha barely recognized her voice at first-it had gotten a little deeper, and a lot less high-pitched. "It's been too long since I last saw you." She took one step towards him. "Forgive me, for not being able to communicate with you for such a long time."

"I understand." Zesha responded quickly, as the two quickly walked towards each other. They stopped, once they figured they were at a distance short enough to hear each other well enough, but long enough so that they were not awkwardly close to each other. "You were occupied with the conflict between your people and the Reptid race, especially with that short war, nine years ago. I myself was occupied with Lazulis, with the Outsider..." He gritted his teeth after he spoke the next statement. "As well as the deaths of Lord Zangurak and...my brother...Zepha."

"I'm sorry for your losses. I remember too well that you and your brother were very close, and that your respect towards Zangurak was...unwavering. I do hope they rest in peace." Tahirah bit her lip briefly, before continuing. "Although my people triumphed over the Reptids in that war and made a peace treaty between them, I'm afraid that there are still conflicts from time to time."

"That is unfortunate to hear." The two went silent, unsure of what to say.

Through that silence, though, Zesha realized there was something that he should know, and only Tahirah could answer it.

"Why are you here?"

"Pardon?" The Countess of Melodia looked up to face him.

"Why are you here?" The new leader of the Gurak repeated. "Are you here to simply reconnect with me, or is there something else that you need to talk to me about?"

Tahirah bit her lip, before speaking again. "Well...I just simply wanted to give you consolation, of a sort." She answered quietly. "I know what it's like to lose someone close. I just thought...you would like some support."

"I see." Zesha paused, curiosity piqued. "And...how do you intend to give me such support?"

"I want to challenge you to a duel." He looked up at her as she continued. "I've dueled Sir Therius over the years, but...I never once had the chance to challenge you. And now, since I possibly do, I would like to duel you."

"No _diplomatic means_ to console someone? That's new for a ruler of Melodia." The Gurak leader commented, unable to hold back a smirk.

"True." Tahirah smiled a little. "Then again...I know I'm not a lot like the past rulers of Melodia." She unsheathed a sword, grasping the handle firmly with both hands. "You're not like the past rulers of the Gurak Continent, either."

The smirk turned into a smile as he unsheathed both swords. "I know."

The two lunged at each other, and the three blades clashed simultaneously. Some Gurak servants rushed out into the courtyard, worried for their new leader, but Zesha immediately noticed them.

"Do not worry!" He called to them as he sidestepped an attempted stab from Tahirah. "This is merely a friendly duel. Please, go back to what you were doing previously."

"I do not believe they will do so that easily, Zesha." Tahirah commented as she ducked out of the way of an attempted slash from both swords. "Maybe now is not the right time for a duel."

Both of them stopped, before they sheathed their swords.

"Yes." He murmured quietly. "Now is _not_ the time." He turned his back to her slightly. "I have to help my people, first."

She turned her back to him a little as well. "The same goes for myself." There was a pause, before she spoke again. "But...when you are ready, and when I am ready...that is when we can duel each other. When I know that we are both ready...I will duel you then."

Zesha smiled a little, and he looked back to see her looking back at him, mirroring his smile. Only three words needed to be said, and Zesha spoke them without fear, without emptiness resonating in the words.

_"I'll be waiting."_


	21. The Rescue

_19. The Rescue_

Summary: Dagran and Zoran execute their attempt to rescue Um. In the midst of the chaos, a certain Reptid decides to help them in the process and ultimately ends in marking himself as a traitor to his kind. Meanwhile in the ruined kingdom of Melodia, Nuriel suffers in health, due to his Shadow using up too much power during the escape attempt...

Characters: Dagran, Zoran, Nuriel's Shadow, Um, Gil, Garbis, Tahirah, Nuriel, Yurick, Arlyn

Pairings: A little ArlynxNuriel

* * *

"Are we bloody there yet, or what!?" Zoran muttered as he looked around. "I don't see any Reptid headquarters anywhere!"

"...We just sailed past it." Dagran scowled in response, pointing in the direction opposite of where they were sailing. "We have to turn the ship around, now! We don't have much time to waste!"

"...You're really worried for him, aren't you? What is Um, your long-lost brother or what?" Nuriel's Shadow asked quietly.

"He is not biologically related to me, thank you, but he is a friend and I don't want to lose him. We have to turn the ship." Dagran replied sternly. "Alright?"

* * *

After turning the ship around and sailing in the right direction towards the island which had the Reptid headquarters, the two landed at a small port at the back of the island, where there was no one that could possibly see them in existence. Or so they thought.

"Dang it, there's a Reptid guard...did you bring arrows of any sort?" Dagran asked.

"You got it." Zoran snuck behind a nearby wooden post, and got out his crossbow. He loaded it with a Sleep Arrow, before pointing it at the guard and shooting. It was a perfect hit, but unfortunately the guard fell into the water. The Shadow face-palmed himself. "What? At least I took him out!"

"Never mind..." The Shadow muttered quietly, before they snuck through the doors the Reptid had been guarding. They found themselves in a passageway, and before they could take another step, they heard voices.

"Garbis-Garbis, this isn't a good idea!" A desperate voice shouted. "Who would be better for the position of 'human representative' of our kind besides Um!? You can't kill him!"

"He tried to _betray_ us, Gil. He needs to be executed." A sharp, icy voice replied. "Out of my way, Gil, or else I won't hesitate to mark you as a traitor to our kind and have you executed as well."

"It's coming from down the hall! We have to hurry!" Dagran exclaimed. The three men ran down the hall, before they found a door, opened slightly so they could see through a crack. Dagran put his fingers to his lips, to warn the others that they needed to be silent. He looked through the door quietly, and that was when he saw his friend, terrified to the core. Um looked so frightened to the point that he couldn't speak.

Was he going to let this happen any further? No.

Dagran immediately did something, which he would later consider to be the most reckless thing he ever did in his life.

* * *

_"LET GO OF UM NOW!"_ Garbis turned to see the intruder-

Only to get nearly stabbed in the chest with a sword. Garbis was lucky to just _barely_ sidestep the unexpected attack. He, Gil and Um were all silent as Dagran pulled his sword back a little, but still kept it pointed at him.

"Dagran?" Um spoke up after a moment of silence. "You...came..."

"Yeah, I did. We have to get out of here, now!" His dark-haired friend shouted. He grabbed Um by the wrist, pulling him away from the two Reptids.

"Don't you dare, you-" Garbis started, taking out a sword-

Only to fall unconscious after being whacked in the back of the head with the hilt of Gil's sword. Dagran stared at Gil in disbelief, before the Reptid spoke up.

"Well, you're going to escape, right? I know a faster way out of here." Gil sheathed his sword as he spoke up. "I'm not doing this because I like that fact that you have guts to go and attack Garbis for trying to kill Um, but because you're trying to protect Um. Come on!" He started to pace towards another door nearby, and Dagran exchanged relieved glances with Um.

"Should we trust him?" The Shadow asked from behind the door that Dagran emerged from moments ago.

"Yes." Um responded quickly. "It's okay-Gil's a good guy! I think...well...at least he's not as bad as Garbis...I think..."

"Oh, we might as well trust him for now." Zoran spoke up. "If he betrays us, we can always keep him hostage and question him about the Reptid's plans..."

* * *

It didn't take too long for the Reptids to catch on to the orders Chrysaor gave to them.

Gil was now branded a traitor to their kind, and he was to be killed on sight. The rest were to be captured and Um was to be killed on sight as well. Thankfully, the five had gotten back to Zoran's boat and started sailing away from their headquarters.

"Okay, so..." Dagran took a deep breath. "Let me get this straight. You," He looked at Gil as he spoke, "You've been taking care of Um for while he's been captured by your kind."

"Yes, that's right." Gil explained as he slid a hand through a few locks of his hair. "And you're Um's friend, Dagran. I heard a lot about you from Um." He turned towards Zoran. "You're that infamous mercenary-turned-thief-turned-merchant, Zoran." He turned towards Um. "I obviously know who you are, Um." He finally looked at the Shadow, confused. "And...I'm sure you're not Nuriel, but you look a lot like him."

"I'm his Shadow." Nuriel's Shadow muttered quietly. "And no, I haven't killed Nuriel yet-I don't find it to be too necessary. I have most of his fire abilities, and I'm stronger than him for sure."

"That's a bit cocky, isn't it?" Zoran muttered under his breath, but he went silent as soon as the Shadow glared at him.

"Shush, you former thief. Trying to take pride in stealing things is more cocky than my bragging."

"Oh, will you two just shush already and stop fighting?!" Dagran groaned, face-palming himself.

"Uh...Dagran?"

Dagran turned towards the islander. "What is it, Um?"

"Er...I think that ship is following us."

"WHAT!?" All the others shouted, before Gil scrambled over to one side of the ship to see a dark ship, with large, black sails.

"Oh, crap." Gil muttered quietly. "I didn't think Lord Chrysaor would actually send a bunch of his troops after us..."

"What do we do, sink the ship?" Zoran asked. "I have no cannons on this ship-we've got nothing to use against them!"

"Maybe we do." The Shadow cut in, smirking slightly. "Just give me the word and I'll send them up in flames."

"No!" Gil snapped back. "Just because I've turned traitor against my kind does_ not_ mean I want them to get hurt or killed! Can't we just find a way to speed up this ship and get away from them?"

"Oh. Right." The Shadow paused, before speaking up again. "Maybe I can speed up the ship by directing a giant column of flames away from the ship, therefore pushing the ship to make it sail faster, then?"

"You'll need more power than that, but I guess that might help..."

"Okay, then..." Dagran paused, before continuing. "Zoran! You take the wheel and make sure we don't run into any rocks or get hit by anything the ship shoots at us! Um, you and I can keep watch for those things. Gil, Shadow, can you two try to get the ship sailing faster?"

"You got it!" Nuriel's Shadow and Gil rushed to the back of the ship, while Zoran rushed towards the wheel to start steering it. Dagran started to climb up the tall mast in the middle of the ship, determined to get to the top to get a better view of the Reptid ship. Um paused, looking up at Dagran, before he figured that he might as well follow suite and do the same.

"So...what sort of magic do you have on your hands, Gil? Anything that can speed up the ship?" The Shadow asked as he brushed a few locks of brown hair out of his face. "Fire magic?"

"Wind magic would be more efficient, I think. I don't know any fire magic." Gil muttered in response. "Ready?"

"Yeah." The Shadow smiled a little. "Let's do this."

_"One, two, three!"_

Flames and wind gushed out of the two propelling the ship forwards. Um let out a scream of shock as he clung onto the sturdiest item closest to him to keep his balance, while Dagran prayed that he didn't lose his grip on the rope ladder attached to the mast. Zoran tripped, banged his head against the wheel, and fell over, but he recovered quickly and grabbed onto the wheel again.

"That's great!" Dagran shouted to them. "Keep it going as much as you can, alright? How long do you guys think you can last?"

"An hour, at least!" The Shadow shouted back.

"I think it would be more of about twenty minutes." Gil argued. "Think about it for a moment. We're both using up our energy to summon all this fire and wind to move a ship. It's not exactly normal for anyone to use up such a vast amount of energy for a very long time unless you're immortal or something, so..."

"Oh...that's not good..."

"Just keep it going as long as you can, okay!?" Dagran shouted. "We have to lose these guys!"

* * *

"Rrgh..." Nuriel grasped his chest tightly with one hand.

"Nuriel? What's wrong?" Yurick asked quietly, concerned.

"It hurts-my chest hurts-I-" Nuriel tried to speak, but he suddenly fell onto his knees.

"Nuriel!" Tahirah and Arlyn immediately got down by his side. "Nuriel, can you hear me? Nuriel!?" Tahirah let out a breath, before speaking up. "He was fine until just now...what could have happened?" She asked as she immediately did his best to try to heal him with some magic.

"Maybe it's fatigue." Arlyn responded quietly as he worriedly looked at his unconscious beloved. "I hope so, at least. It would be bad if he got sick..." The ice-wielding Advisor laid a kiss on Nuriel's forehead, and he paused, before speaking up again. "I think he's sick...his forehead is warmer than usual..."

"Wait a second." Yurick paused, to remember something that the Shadow had told him and his friends in the Lazulis Castle Dungeon...

_Shadows still have a somewhat-mental connection to their hosts. Everything that they see or hear or feel or smell or whatever-_

"The Shadow can sense that too." Yurick finished his thought aloud.

"What?"

"Remember? When we were questioning Nuriel's Shadow in the Castle Dungeon?" Yurick told the other two. "He told us that Shadows have a sort of connection to their hosts. If that's the case...the Shadow could be undergoing the same thing, too."

* * *

"Hey...hey!"

The Shadow opened his eyes quietly, feeling sand underneath him and seeing Dagran and the others looking at him. "Are you alright?" Dagran asked quietly. "You passed out a while ago when you stopped the flames. We got away from the other Reptids, and landed on this island."

"We...we're alright?" The Shadow asked as Um helped him sit up. "We're alive?"

"Yes, we are." Gil answered. "It's understandable that you passed out from using up that much energy in a short period of time. I myself nearly collapsed as well."

"Hm." The Shadow looked around quietly, before he spoke up again. "I wonder if my original is feeling the same as I am physically right now..."

_Right. _Dagran thought to himself. _He told me and the others earlier about the connection between him and Nuriel. If that's in effect right now that means...oh man...I hope Nuriel is doing alright. _

_But...how are we going to get help, now? We're stuck here with a damaged boat and barely enough supplies for two days. This...is not good._

* * *

**Author note: Sorry about the delay in updates-writer's block did not help this chapter get posted any sooner. Thanks for your patience, and I hope this chapter made up for it.**


	22. Help

_19. Help_

Summary: The sight of the ruined land of Melodia has Tahirah more determined to save the kingdom from ruin. Thankfully, despite Nuriel unable to help her due to his weakened abilities, and Yurick unable to help because of needing to help Nuriel, Zesha coincidentally arrives at the kingdom to help her find the Song of Plenteousness. While Zesha, Tahirah and Arlyn search for the song, Nuriel gives Yurick a very important piece of advice concerning Yurick and Zesha's relations towards each other.

Characters: Zesha, Yurick, Nuriel, Arlyn, Tahirah

Pairings: Possible onesided ZeshaxTahirah if you squint?

* * *

There was no smoke that rose from the ruins, despite the ashes roasting in the hot sunlight. Tahirah trembled as she simply stared at the ruined land, filled with charred corpses, broken buildings and splintered trees.

"Tahirah?" She turned towards Yurick, who had spoken. "Are you alright?"

She nodded once. "I'm fine, Yurick." She murmured quietly as her dark green eyes gazed upon the wasteland. "That Song of Plenteousness...I know that it must be in the castle. It's not far from here, but I can't just bring all the people over there with me. There could still be Reptids roaming about, or other monsters. I can't let them get hurt."

"Perhaps the guards, Nuriel, Yurick and I should keep watch over the people here and camp just here for the night. We are back in Melodia, now, and considering that it was ruined quite a few days ago that there will be less chance of any enemies attacking us right outside the castle-even if we lack a few guards. I don't think Chrysaor would want to completely annihlate the people, and the Reptids know better than to linger around the remains of a broken land for too long." Arlyn suggested.

"Hm...That is true..."

"Lady Tahirah?" Everyone turned towards Nuriel, who was pointing at the nearby port. "There appears to be a ship headed for the port."

"Is it a Reptid ship?" Tahirah asked quickly, fearing that the Reptids had come to finish her people off.

Nuriel shook his head. "No, milady...it's a Gurak ship. They raise a blue flag-they mean peace." He squinted, trying to get a better look at the ship. "Is that...is that the new Gurak leader on that ship? Is it...him?"

"The new leader of the Gurak?" Tahirah asked aloud, taking a few steps closer. "Could it be...?"

"That's Zesha, isn't it?" Yurick asked her. "He took over the role of being the Gurak King when Zangurak died during the power struggle over the Outsider, didn't he?" He paused, before realizing- "Wait, you_ know_ him!?"

"Yes, I know him." Tahirah replied quietly. "Since ten years ago. I saw him there at first with Zangurak and Zepha when they visited Melodia to discuss about the Outsider with my parents, and to ask them if they would like to bring spies to Lazulis to find the Outsider. My parents refused; they said that it would break the peace treaty between Melodia and Lazulis..."

"Zangurak tried to get your kingdom to send spies to Lazulis?" Yurick repeated, surprised. "I'm shocked that he even wanted to enlist the help of humans-I thought he didn't trust us humans at all!"

"I thought so, too. Perhaps if my parents had accepted, we probably wouldn't have been destroyed by Zangurak if he succeeded in gaining the power of the Outsider and destroying the humans in Lazulis. We didn't think he was serious at the time, and we had our problems with the Reptids already..." Tahirah took a deep breath before continuing. "I'll talk more, later. Right now we have a Gurak leader to address. Yurick and Arlyn, stay here and look after the people. Nuriel, come with me. We will go see the Gurak. If we do not come back in, let's say an hour-assume that it was an enemy ship in disguise using Zesha as bait and that we're dead or captured."

* * *

Zesha let out a sigh as he stood on the dock, looking at the ruined land that lay before him. He never once thought, under Zangurak's rule, that he would ever set foot in Melodia for the purpose of helping its ruler. But now, he was the king of the Gurak and he could destroy or aid Melodia if he wished it.

He knew about what had happened between the Reptids and Melodia. And if the Gurak had to coexist with humans, why not start with Melodia? If bringing the humans and Reptids together was the only way his people were to survive, he would take any chance for that to happen.

"Lord Zesha, two humans are approaching us." One of the soldiers spoke to him, pointing to his left.

"Describe their appearance to me." The Gurak king told him.

"One of them is a young woman, with black hair and wearing noble-like robes. The other is an older woman, with blonde hair."

Zesha walked towards the railing of the ship, and stared out towards where the soldier had pointed. He knew who they were.

"Tahirah...and Arlyn." He murmured quietly under his breath, before turning towards the soldiers with him. "The ones that approach us are Lady Tahirah, Countess of Melodia, and Arlynne, one of Tahirah's bodyguards. Treat them with the utmost respect, and await my orders. Understood?"

"Yes, Lord Zesha!" The other soldiers responded quickly. Zesha nodded, before turning towards to see Tahirah and Arlyn, waiting on the dock below. Tahirah smiled up at him, and Zesha couldn't help but smile back briefly.

Help had come, and both nobles were glad to see each other again.

* * *

"So, you wish to find the Song of Plenteousness?" Zesha asked quietly.

The Countess of Tahirah nodded in response. Both nobles, as well as Arlyn, stood alone in the courtyard, weeds and thorny vines growing around them. "I believe that it's possible that it's still somewhere in this castle. I don't think any of the Reptids would have bothered to grab their hands on it unless they're experiencing problems-and they're not, because they're able to adapt more easily to their surroundings than us humans and maybe Gurak, too, no offense Zesha."

"Well, you do have a point. The Gurak Continent is still being rebuilt after the Outsider War." The Gurak leader responded. "The Reptids have had a history of survival, after all-I myself would find it shocking if they did get their hands on it." He paused, before looking around. "Where in the castle do you think the Song is?"

Tahirah let out a sigh. "I don't know, honestly. I've tried to look for it as a child and I never found it, no matter where I looked."

"It could be in some hidden room in the castle. I've been to some of those rooms before-Nuriel showed them to me when I was just starting out. He told me to use them in case this place was ever attacked and if Lady Tahirah needed safety somewhere." Arlyn spoke up quietly. "I feel that it could be in one of those rooms..."

"Do you know which floor they are located?" Tahirah asked quietly. "I never knew about hidden rooms! I tried looking in the stables for the song, the kitchen-places where people wouldn't usually think of where hidden rooms might be concealed, such as the bathrooms and even in Nuriel and Arlyn's rooms."

Arlyn and Zesha both stared at Tahirah. "You were that determined that you didn't care about people's privacy?" Zesha asked. "I didn't think you would do anything such as that-it's far improper, in my opinion."

The Countess let out a sigh. "Doesn't matter right now. We have to find the Song of Plenteousness so that Melodia is saved, people won't revolt against me and possibly kill me, and the pregnant countess of Lazulis won't have to worry about Melodia and I so much; I doubt that worrying so much is good for one's pregnancy."

Zesha stared at her. "The Countess Callista Arganan is pregnant with a child _already?"_ He asked in disbelief, his eyes widening as if mortified.

Tahirah looked confused. "What? I thought she would have told you as soon as she found out..."

The Gurak ruler let out a sigh. "Lady Callista and I aren't exactly on good speaking terms yet, despite the peace treaty between the Gurak Continent and Lazulis." He muttered quietly. "Of course I wouldn't know, Tahirah. Think."

"Oh."

An awkward silence ensued between the three, and there was the chirping of crickets.

Arlyn coughed a little, breaking the silence. "Uh, well, we should probably start looking for the song. Right?"

* * *

"WHERE COULD THAT BLOODY SONG BE!?" The Countess of Melodia screamed in frustration, echoing in the empty ballroom. "HECK, WHERE ARE THE BLOODY ROOMS!?"

Zesha took the opportunity to face-palm himself. "Lady Tahirah, you are really not like your parents in terms of frustration management." He murmured, loud enough for Tahirah to hear.

"Thank you, Lord Zesha." She muttered sarcastically in response. Tahirah let out a breath as she stared around her, pushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. "Dang it..." She muttered quietly. "Where could the hidden rooms be?"

Arlyn looked around quietly, before he knocked on a nearby wall, leaning on itl. "I'm sure that the hidden rooms were-aah!" The wall fell over, taking Arlyn down with it.

"Arlyn!" Tahirah and Zesha rushed over to him. "Are you alright?" Tahirah asked quietly.

Arlyn nodded, getting up. "I'm fine, it's just-" He paused, before looking behind him to see the open wall. "Oh. I think I found the hidden rooms."

"That's good, I suppose. We're making progress." Tahirah took a deep breath, before speaking again. "Who wants to go down there first?"

"Why do you ask?" Zesha asked, curious. "All three of us are going to be going down there eventually, right?"

"Of course." Tahirah answered him. "I just thought I'd ask in case anyone was willing to sacrifice themselves to whatever monsters that could be existing down there. I heard a myth that anyone that is looking for the Song of Plenteousness must defeat a certain monster that guards it."

"Oh. Well, isn't _that _nice..."

Arlyn just gave a small frown, and Tahirah let out a sigh.

"Fine, I'll lead. Happy?"

"Yes." Both Arlyn and Zesha spoke in unision.

"Hey!"

* * *

"It sucks that I can't go with them to search for the song." Nuriel muttered quietly. "I know I'm not good with my fire abilities yet, but if they're facing any monsters that are immune to ice, Arlyn will be dead weight and I don't want him to die. Or Lady Tahirah, either. Or Lord Zesha."

Yurick was silent, sitting on the ground and watching the people of Melodia converse with some of the Gurak, while other Gurak soldiers stood guard. The fire mage doubted that there would be any monsters hurting the people with the Gurak to help assist them in battle (not to mention that Tahirah had taken the opportunity to form a dome-shaped barrier that would deflect both magical and physical attacks for twenty-four hours, too).

"...Did you ever run into Zesha?" Nuriel asked, after a moment of silence. "During the Outsider War, I mean."

Yurick nodded once. "I've battled him, alongside my friends." He told him quietly. "I...killed his brother, Zepha, during the battle."

"Oh." Nuriel winced a bit. "No wonder he didn't seem to like you so much. I bet if it wasn't for Tahirah around, he would have killed you on the spot."

"Yeah, most likely." The other agreed. There was silence between them, before Nuriel spoke up again.

"...Don't you think that you two should try to make amends somehow?"

Yurick was silent again for a moment, before he responded.

"I'm not sure if that's possible."

Nuriel shrugged. "Hey, Arlyn and I didn't exactly see eye-to-eye when we first met, and now we've been absolutely in love with each other for a good five-to-six years, now. Maybe if you and Zesha overcome the difficulties and the past and such, perhaps you two could even become friends of a sort. You never know until you try, right?"

* * *

"I think we're getting close." Tahirah murmured softly as the three descended down the staircase. "How many steps are there?"

"I think we've gotten to at least a hundred steps by now." The Gurak leader responded, holding up a bright lantern to see clearly in the dark corridor. "I hope this won't take too long..."

"Actually," Arlyn cut in, "I think we're at the bottom, now-aargh!" The ice mage found himself tripping over his feet and falling. Grabbing Tahirah by the arm, she fell down, but not without Zesha following them after he tried to pull Tahirah back. The three landed on the ground in a heap, and Zesha let out a groan of pain.

Tahirah let out a sigh. "Arlyn, please work on your balance when walking up and down the stairs, will you?"

"Of course, Lady Tahirah." The crossdressing mage responded as he helped Tahirah and Zesha stand up. "I'm afraid even after five years, I still have the occasional trouble with, well, walking in heels." He let out a sigh, before tearing the two-inch heels off his feet. "Honestly, I really should have worn better sorts of shoes than this sort..."

A scuffle suddenly caught their attention. The three looked around quietly, examining their dark surroundings. Zesha inhaled, before holding the lantern towards the ceiling.

A hint of gold reflected on the ceiling in the light, before a menacing pair of eyes blinked open. Zesha, startled, dropped the lantern as the Gold Spider leapt onto the ground, glaring at them for having disturbed its rest.

"A Gold Spider?" Tahirah asked, staring at the large eight-legged beast in front of them. "Ah, crap."

"_Language,_ Lady Tahirah." Arlyn cautioned quietly.

"I don't give a heck about language right now." The Countess of Melodia muttered in response. "Lecture me afterwards, Arlyn."

"As you wish..."

The Gold Spider scuttled towards them, and Zesha and Tahirah took out their swords before rushing towards it, ready to fight. Arlyn stayed back, preparing an ice spell to attack the spider with. Before he could cast the spell, the spider spit out webbing, trapping all three of them in his grasp.

"Zesha!" Zesha tore webbing out of his eyes to see Tahirah being pulled towards the spider. The Gurak ruler cursed, before he undid the webbing that bound him. He paused, before jumping towards the webbing and slashing at it with both swords.

Unfortunately, the Gurak leader's timing was a bit off-resulting in Tahirah being eaten alive by the spider.

"Lady Tahirah!?" Arlyn screamed, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. "Speak to me! _Are you alive!?"_

Zesha glared at the spider. "How _dare_ you eat Tahirah, you eight-legged beast!" He screamed, repeatedly slashing at the Gold Spider with both blades.

"Uh, Zesha? Arlyn? I'm alive..." Tahirah trailed off from inside the spider's abdomen. "I could probably cast light magic too, if you want..."

"No! Don't use light magic! The spider will only absorb it and grow more powerful!" Zesha snapped in response. "Do you even know anything aside from light magic, even!?"

"Zesha. Ten years has passed since you last saw me, and I have learned the basics of fire magic and ice magic since then, if I'm not a master of said magic..."

"Oh. Go ahead and use it then." Zesha let out a sigh before continuing to attack the spider. The Gurak leader narrowly dodged the spider's next attack, before he was knocked into a wall by the one afterwards. The spider turned around, before releasing Tahirah from its abdomen. The Melodian countess was completely covered in some sort of sticky substance (digestive juices, Zesha guessed as he cringed at Tahirah's current appearance), and she did not look happy.

"Ew..." Tahirah trailed off quietly, staring down at herself. "This is really disgusting..."

"Duly noted, my lady." Arlyn responded, before shooting another ice attack towards the Gold Spider. "I suggest you try to wipe yourself off quickly before the spider tries to get you again-you would be more mobile."

"Sounds good-I'll prepare a heal circle!"

Zesha's eyes widened in surprise. "You even know healing magic?"

"Yeah. I know a lot of stuff, now." Tahirah seemed to frown a little. "...Sometimes I think I know more than I need to know. It feels like too much at times."

"Understood..." Zesha jumped up, before slashing downwards at the Gold Spider. The creature let out a pained screech, before finally collapsing onto the floor. The corpse disappeared into dust.

A relieved silence settled upon the three, and Zesha and Arlyn both didn't hesitate to run over to Tahirah, who was sitting in the healing circle she had conjured moments ago.

"I'm alright, you two." Tahirah tried to reassure them as they helped her up. "You don't have to worry-"

Zesha shook his head. "Tahirah. Look, you shouldn't-" He let out a sigh, before speaking again. "Don't try to throw yourself into danger so often and so recklessly. Alright? I just-I just think it's not that good for you to do that so much."

Tahirah was silent for a moment, before nodding once. "I understand your concern, Lord Zesha, but you don't have to worry about me too much. I'll make sure of that." Her dark green eyes glittered with concern of her own. "You know, you should return to the Gurak Continent once things are alright here. You have your own people to worry about. I don't want to put any more pressure on you."

Zesha nodded in response, and Tahirah turned to see a small chest at the far corner of the room. She paused, before slowly walking towards it. Undoing the latch on the chest, she slowly opened it wide, praying that whatever was in it was the thing she was looking for.

There was a stack of paper. Tahirah was confused at first, before she realized the writing on it was-

"Music notes." Tahirah spoke aloud. "This music-could it be-"

"The Song of Plenteousness?" Arlyn asked as he and Zesha caught up to her. "Is it what we think it may be?"

Tahirah nodded, before turning towards them, a smile on her face. "Thank you." She whispered quietly. "I think Melodia...can be saved, for sure. I just know it."

Zesha merely nodded once, before exhaling.

They may have found the Song of Plenteousness, but they still had a long way to go before Melodia would be completely restored.

* * *

**Author note: I apologize for the long delay in updates lately, and I do hope this chapter makes up for it. I hope you enjoyed reading this fic so far, and thanks so much for your patience!**


End file.
